Six suspected Syrian militants were arrested Monday at an army checkpoint in the northeastern border town of Arsal, state-run National News Agency reported.

“Lebanese army intelligence agents arrested at the Ain al-Shaab checkpoint in Arsal six Syrians suspected of belonging to militant groups,” NNA said.

Kataeb Party chief MP Sami Gemayel blasted the government on Monday as “unproductive,” while stressing that presidential hopefuls “belonging to regional axes” cannot make it to the presidential palace in Baabda in the current circumstances.

“This government was supposed to be a national unity government aimed at securing the election of a new president, and it was supposed to serve for no longer than two or three months,” said Gemayel after the weekly meeting of Kataeb's political bureau.

The Lebanese army intelligence announced on Monday the arrest of a member of Osama Masnour's terrorist group.

An army statement said that Abdul Rahman Tareq al-Kilani was detained upon his return to Lebanon from abroad.

First Military Examining Magistrate Judge Riyad Abou Ghida issued on Monday an arrest warrant against Elie Daou in the murder of Army Major Rabih Kahil.

The state-run National News Agency said Abou Ghida issued the warrant after questioning Daou in the killing of Kahil last month.

General Security chief Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim has revealed that an initiative to raise the retirement age of senior army officers for three years aimed at ending a growing political crisis has not stopped.

Ibrahim told As Safir daily published on Monday that his contacts with all the Lebanese factions are ongoing.

The head of al-Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc, MP Fouad Saniora, has rejected an initiative launched by General Security chief Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim to raise the retirement age of the army and security officers for three years.

“I knew that there is madness but I didn't think for a second that we would reach a stage of beyond madness,” Saniora told As Safir newspaper published on Monday.

Sources close to Prime Minister Tammam Salam have expressed confidence that there is consensus to confront Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun's call for street demonstrations against the military extensions.

“Each day has its own events,” the sources said. “Salam is not alone responsible for confrontation.”

Speaker Nabih Berri has said that Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun lost the opportunity of bringing his son-in-law as army chief by rejecting the names proposed by Defense Minister Samir Moqbel.

Berri, whose remarks were published in local dailies on Monday, told his visitors that an opportunity, which will not come again, has been lost.

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi stressed Sunday that only the state and its institutions can protect the Lebanese.

“We reject to receive protection from anyone and only the state, the presidency, the institutions, the army and the security forces can protect us,” al-Rahi said during a visit to Rashaya's mufti Sheikh Ahmed al-Ladan.

An Italian young man was killed and another was injured Sunday during a mountain climbing trip in the Jbeil area of Shwan-Ain Jrein, Lebanon's National News Agency reported.

It said one of them received a fatal head injury and the other was wounded after they fell into a steep area.