Summary
Lebanon bid farewell Wednesday to a slain soldier who was beheaded by militants in a massive, emotional funeral brimming with anguish over his killing.
Justice Minister Ashraf Rifi said there was no deal to exchange the prisoners for the Army soldiers and Internal Security Forces members, but said Lebanon must speed up the trials of detained Islamists held for years without sentences.
The Russian ambassador to Lebanon confirmed that the two countries were discussing possible formulas for military cooperation, without disclosing any details on the possible deal.
The growing alarm over the terrorist threat on the border from ISIS and the Nusra Front and its security repercussions came as news emerged that Hezbollah-backed Syrian troops ambushed a convoy belonging to the Nusra Front, killing a commander responsible for last year's kidnapping of Syrian nuns, according to a Lebanese security source.The
U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon Derek Plumbly said after meeting Salam that the two discussed the security situation in Lebanon, as well as the international efforts to support the country.
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