The U.N. Security Council on Monday condemned attacks by extremist groups in Lebanon, backing the government's military response but warning Beirut against being dragged deeper into the Syria conflict.

Scores of Lebanese soldiers have been killed and injured in three days of clashes with jihadists in the northeastern town of Arsal near the Syrian border, according to the Lebanese army.

A rocket was fired from southern Lebanon on Monday towards Israel, but missed its target and hit Lebanese territory instead.

"A rocket was fired a while ago from a region between al-Jormoq and al-Zafata (in the South),” the state-run National News Agency reported on Monday evening.

Several people rallied on Monday in the Bab al-Tabbaneh neighborhood of the northern city of Tripoli to protest what they considered the “army and Hizbullah's shelling” of the eastern border region of Arsal.

The protesters' march took off near Tripoli's Harba mosque and they roamed streets surrounding Bab al-Tabbaneh, arriving at the northern city's Abou Ali roundabout, the state-run National News Agency reported.

The Syndicate Coordination Committee on Monday announced canceling a general strike that was scheduled to take place on Wednesday at all public institution, citing the security situation in the country as a cause.

"Considering the security situation, the SCC announces postponing the general strike at public institutions and ministries of Wednesday, August 6, and the rally at the Ministry of Education,” a SCC spokesperson said at a press conference.

The government on Monday announced the mobilization of all its political and security agencies in defense of Arsal in the face of the “flagrant aggression,” noting that the only way out of the current confrontation lies in the withdrawal of the “terrorists” from the border town.

“Lebanon is facing a flagrant aggression against its sovereignty and security at the hands of obscurantist terrorist groups, which have dared to attack the army's dignity to execute a suspicious plot aimed at paralyzing the state and sowing chaos in Arsal and its surroundings,” Prime Minister Tammam Salam announced after an emergency cabinet meeting.

The United Nations and the European Union condemned on Monday attacks carried out by Islamist fighters on the Lebanese army in the northeastern border town of Arsal.

Acting U.N. Special Coordinator Ross Mountain and EU Ambassador Angelina Eichhorst “strongly condemned” the attacks on army positions and the violence in and around the town of Arsal, said separate statements issued by their press offices.

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat noted on Monday that “national responsibility” obligates all political camps to stand united behind the military institution in light of the army's battles with armed groups in the eastern town of Arsal.

He said in his weekly editorial in the PSP-affiliated al-Anbaa website: “Some irresponsible sides criticized the army and will expose it and Lebanon to more dangers.”

Outgoing Saudi Ambassador Ali Awadh Asiri on Monday expressed regret at the political and security situation in Lebanon, hoping for national unity to preserve stability.

Asiri said that he expressed regret to Speaker Nabih Berri “on the developments in Lebanon and hoped that they would reflect on Lebanese unity.”

Fierce fighting raged for the third day in the mountains around the northeastern border town of Arsal on Monday as the army announced 14 soldiers have been killed in the battles and as efforts to reach a ceasefire were underway.

A military source told LBCI television: “We have allowed a temporary ceasefire so that a Muslim Scholars Committee delegation can enter Arsal and return with the hostage soldiers, which is the first condition for continuing the implementation of the agreement's remaining points.”

Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil called on Monday on the international community to support Lebanon and offer aid to the Lebanese army to confront terrorism, considering the region to be stuck between Islamist groups and Israel.

“Terrorism is moving from an area to another but it will surely be buried on Lebanese territories,” Bassil said during a meeting for the Palestine Committee of the Non-Aligned Movement held in Tehran.