Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea said the upcoming visit of President Michel Aoun to Saudi Arabia will carry important issues particularly reactivating the military aide program for the Lebanese Army, and considered Aoun's travel to Iran as a “normal” procedure.

“Aoun's Trip to Tehran is a normal matter, and if Iran wants to provide aide to the Lebanese State, why not?” said Geagea in an interview to the Kuwaiti al-Qabas daily on Saturday, rejecting the notion about the return of Bashar Assad's influence on Lebanon or Syria.

Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq said on Saturday, the latest accomplishments of the security forces in uncovering terror cells that had plans to carry attacks during the holiday season, called for utmost vigilance which in turn led to uncovering the terror-cell in Tripoli and other groups.

The Minister hailed, in an interview to VDL (93.3), “the serious endeavors and big work of the security forces and army troops in confronting terror attacks,” giving the larger “credit to the Intelligence Directorate.”

Grand Mufti of the Lebanese Republic Sheikh Abdul Latif Deryan has high expectations on the planned visit of President Michel Aoun to Saudi Arabia, and said it improves ties between the two countries, the state-run National News Agency reported Saturday.

A Lebanese man, who sustained gunfire wounds during a personal dispute that erupted in Tripoli on Friday, has succumbed to his wounds, the National News Agency reported on Saturday.

A personal dispute erupted between the victim, Omar Kanju, and the assailant who was identified with his initials as A.R., in the northern neighborhood of Bab el-Tabbaneh in Tripoli, NNA said.

A Lebanese shepherd, Abdullah Rahmeh, who was abducted on Friday by the Israeli army was released at dawn on Saturday, the National News Agency reported.

The Israeli army handed Rahmeh to the UNIFIL troops at the Ras al-Naqoura border area. UNIFIL in turn handed him to the Lebanese Army Intelligence units, added NNA.

Chairman of the Federation of the Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture in Lebanon Mohammed Choucair stated that President Michel Aoun's visit to Saudi Arabia will restore ties back to normal between the two countries, the pan-Arab Asharq al-Awsat daily reported on Saturday.

“President Aoun's visit to Saudi Arabia next week, will be the key for the return of brethren Gulf nationals back in Lebanon. The visit will put relations between the two countries back on the right track,” Choucair told the daily in an interview.

A meeting between a key member of the AMAL Movement, Ali Hassan Khalil and head of the Free Patriotic Movement Jebran Bassil took place on Thursday, marking an improvement in ties between the two parties after some conflict emerged against the backdrop the presidential elections, media reports said Friday.

Al-Mustaqbal MP Badr Wannous has passed away on Friday at the age of 80.

Born in Tripoli in the neighborhood of al-Tebbaneh in 1941, he was married with two children, Bassam and Rana.

The file of servicemen abducted by the Islamic State extremist group is back in the spotlight, following Thursday's meeting between their relatives and President Michel Aoun, and the declaration of General Security chief Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim that new mediators are negotiating to reveal their fate.

Ibrahim, who attended the meeting between the relatives and Aoun, told al-Joumhouria on Friday: “We have been communicating with two mediators for the past two months. The first mediator is in the outskirts of Arsal, and the second is in Syria's Reqqa. They were tasked by the General Security to communicate and negotiate with the kidnappers and investigate the fate of the abductees.”

Hizbullah assured on Friday that its relations with President Michel Aoun and the Free Patriotic Movement are “firm”, and assured that the party does not demur Aoun's travel to Saudi Arabia as the first trip the president is scheduled to take abroad, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Friday.

Following the latest reports alleging that Aoun's scheduled visit to Saudi Arabia has “angered” Iran and “bemused” Hizbullah, party sources recalled the announcement of Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah where he said “he has no problem with that,” the sources told the daily on condition of anonymity.