A security committee is investigating an incident in which Syrian troops killed three Lebanese men after opening fire on their vehicle in the northern border area of Wadi Khaled, an army source said.

“A committee tasked with investigating the incident immediately began its work,” the source told pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat in remarks published Thursday.

The Higher Defense Council on Thursday stressed the prevention of arms smuggling in and out of Lebanon and called for controlling the security situation in border towns.

The HDC convened at Baabda palace to contain the repercussions of allegations that the al-Qaida terrorist network was operating in Lebanon. But it did not unveil details over the issue.

The implementation of a cabinet decision on the wage hike was on Wednesday postponed till next year after the Shura Council failed to issue its stance ahead of the last government session.

The cabinet convened at Baabda palace on Wednesday – its last session for this year - in the hopes that the Council would issue its decision ahead of the meeting. But the Council failed to do so and it was still not clear whether it would approve the wage boost or not.

Al-Jamaa al-Islamiya has denied allegations that the al-Qaida terrorist network was operating in Lebanon, but stressed that some extremists believe in Osama bin Laden’s thoughts.

The party’s politburo chief Omar al-Masri told An Nahar daily published Thursday that the reports about al-Qaida’s presence in Lebanon “are an old story.”

The ministerial committee tasked with following up the issue of oil and gas exploration on Wednesday referred the executive decrees prepared by the energy and water ministry to the government, which will discuss them in its January 4 session.

Briefing reporters after the committee’s meeting at the Grand Serail, Energy and Water Minister Jebran Bassil said: “I want to announce the good news to the Lebanese: the ministerial committees tasked with studying the oil decrees has reached an agreement and referred the decrees prepared by the energy ministry to the upcoming Jan. 4 cabinet session.”

A family dispute has erupted into heavy gunfire in the northern city of Tripoli, forcing the army to intervene to contain the situation.

OTV reported that the dispute broke out in the city’s fish market.

Information Minister Walid al-Daouq stated on Wednesday that Defense Minister Fayez Ghosn has received information from security authorities on the infiltration of al-Qaida members of the Bekaa town of Arsal and their entry into Syria, adding that the government urged the security forces and Lebanese army to properly monitor the border with Syria.

He said after a cabinet session: “The government called on the Higher Defense Council to convene in order to address the minister’s allegations.”

Prime Minister Najib Miqati wondered on Wednesday whether some Lebanese have connections with the actual al-Qaida terrorist group, saying that the organization’s name is being used in general terms and not in order to describe specific incidents.

He said before reporters: “We don’t have solid evidence that al-Qaida is present in Arsal.”

Former premier Saad Hariri condemned Wednesday what he called the “assassination” of three Lebanese young men at the hands of Syrian security forces in the northern Lebanese border area of Wadi Khaled.

In a statement issued by his press office, Hariri held Prime Minister Najib Miqati’s government responsible for “the frequent Syrian violations against Lebanese citizens and Lebanese sovereignty.”

A cautious calm prevailed in the Wadi Khaled area of the northern district of Akkar on Wednesday, a day after Syrian troops entered Lebanese territories and killed three men.

Kasser Hussein al-Zeit and his brother Ahmed, who hail from the Syrian town of Heit, and their cousin Maher Ali al-Zeit, who resides in Majdal in Wadi Khaled, were killed on Tuesday when the Syrian army intelligence members reached the outskirts of al-Mqaibleh and opened fire on their vehicle, An Nahar daily said.