Prime Minister Najib Miqati stated on Friday that Lebanon was successful in tackling its duty of funding the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, which he said helped serve justice.

He said during the opening of the 55th Arab International Book Fair at Biel: “Lebanon was victorious in the funding and now governmental work will be resumed once again.”

Hizbullah announced on Friday that it had foiled an attempt by Israel to spy on its telecom network that is installed between two southern towns, prompting Israel to detonate the device through which it tried to infiltrate the group’s network.

“The Islamic Resistance thwarted an Israeli spying attempt on the telecom cable installed between the towns of Srifa and Deirkifa,” Hizbullah’s Al-Manar television reported, noting that “Israel detonated the spy device through an unmanned aerial vehicle.”

LF leader Samir Geagea criticized on Friday Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah’s speech on the Special Tribunal for Lebanon on Thursday, accusing him of taking contradictory positions on the matter.

He asked before reporters at Maarab: “If the STL were an American-Israeli product as you claim, then wouldn’t it have been better for your majority to resign and force Premier Najib Miqati to step down as well in order to prevent the tribunal funding?”

Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri slammed on Friday Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah’s recent speech on the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, saying that it reflected his annoyance with the decision to fund the tribunal.

He said in a statement: “A thousand speeches like Nasrallah’s will not eliminate Lebanon’s recognition of the STL.”

Syrian troops wounded three people when they opened fire on the north Lebanon border on Friday, witnesses and a medical official said, prompting the Lebanese army to deploy along the border.

"The army has taken all necessary security measures to protect citizens and is patrolling the northern border area," read a statement released by the Lebanese military.

A Syrian government run by the country's main opposition group would cut ties to Iran, and end arms supplies to Hizbullah and Hamas, the group's leader told the Wall Street Journal published Friday.

The interview with Burhan Ghalioun, president of the Syrian National Council, came eight months into an increasingly violent uprising against Syrian President Bashar Assad, with rebels seeking international support.

Sources close to the prime minister refused to comment on Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah’s remarks but reminded the Lebanese that PM Najib Miqati had previously announced readiness to resolve the issue of false witnesses.

While the sources did not comment to al-Liwaa daily on Nasrallah’s urge to Miqati to put the issue on the cabinet agenda and then refer it to the Higher Judicial Council, the sources said the premier announced several months ago that the false witnesses file was waiting for the appointment of the HJC president.

Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat has stressed that he holds onto his alliance with Premier Najib Miqati in the cabinet, refuting reports about a change in his stances.

“I am part of the broad alliance with PM Najib Miqati,” Jumblat was quoted by al-Akhbar daily as saying on Friday.

The Special Tribunal for Lebanon stressed on Thursday that the so-called false witnesses issue was not under its jurisdiction, shortly after Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said the government should deal with the file.

Testimony given to the United Nations International Independent Investigation Commission “before the STL existed, is not under our jurisdiction,” the tribunal said on twitter.

The March 14 forces snapped back at Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah hinting that he had no constitutional authority to give instructions to Premier Najib Miqati.

“We know that he isn’t a constitutional expert but he should know that the constitution clearly states that any grant or donation to the Lebanese state which is approved by the cabinet becomes treasury money,” senior March 14 sources told An Nahar daily on Friday.