Security forces on Thursday evening arrested a Lieutenant Colonel and two civilians on charges of arms trade, state-run National News Agency reported on Friday, noting that the three men were arrested between Beirut and the Bekaa.

The Lieutenant Colonel hails from Western Bekaa, NNA said.

Canada expanded sanctions against Syria Friday, praised Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi for slamming Syria's regime as "oppressive" and warned Russia over its support for Syria.

Canada added 50 names to a list of people and organizations linked to Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime to be targeted by sanctions. It is Canada's 10th tightening of sanctions against Syria in the past year.

More than 100 Turkish journalists on Friday staged a protest to demand the release of two Turkish reporters reportedly being held by the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Gathering in front of the Syrian embassy in Ankara, protestors unfurled banners reading "Syria, give our colleagues back," "Don't kill journalists," and "Journalist is not the target."

A Syrian deputy foreign minister slammed Turkey on Friday for training and facilitating the passage of "terrorists," according to a television interview given during a summit of non-aligned states in Iran.

Turkey had a particularly "destructive role" in the conflict, Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Muqdad told Iran's Arabic-language Al-Alam television.

U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon on Friday told Syria's prime minister in Tehran on Friday that fighting must stop in Syria "with the primary responsibility resting on the government to halt its use of heavy weapons."

In the meeting with Syrian Prime Minister Wael al-Halaqi and Foreign Minister Walid Muallem, Ban said he set out "my demands for all sides to cease all forms of violence," with Damascus bearing the greatest responsibility.

The United States and Israel are responsible for the conflict scorching Syria by "flooding weapons" to rebels there, the supreme leader of Iran -- the main ally of Syria's regime -- said on Friday, according to his official website.

"The main and behind-the-scenes operators behind the painful issues in Syria are America and the Zionist regime," Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a meeting with Syrian Prime Minister Wael al-Halaqi on the sidelines of a Non-Aligned Movement summit in Tehran.

Turkey will keep up its diplomatic efforts to protect refugees within the Syrian territory, despite the lack of an agreement at the U.N. Security Council, a Turkish diplomat told Agence France Presse Friday.

"We will continue to appeal to the international community to act," the diplomat said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Fierce fighting rocked northern Syria on Friday as Ankara pressed its call for safe havens to be set up in the country to stem the refugee exodus and protesters demanded the fall of the regime.

U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon told Syria's premier at a summit in Tehran that Damascus must stop using heavy weapons in the conflict, and the International Committee of the Red Cross warned of a fast deteriorating humanitarian situation.

An American freelance journalist whose whereabouts in Syria were unknown for more than two weeks is being held by the Syrian government, his employers said Thursday.

The Washington Post, citing diplomatic sources, said that Austin Tice, 31, was detained near the Damascus suburb of Daraya, where activists say forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar Assad massacred hundreds of people last week.

The March 14 alliance is preparing a memorandum to hand over to President Michel Suleiman over Syria’s repeated violations against Lebanon, An Nahar newspaper reported on Friday.

According to the daily, the memo will address the case of ex-Minister Michel Samaha, who was accused along with head of the Syrian National Security Bureau Ali Mamlouk and a Syrian officer identified as Brig. Gen. Adnan of plotting to assassinate political and religious figures in Lebanon and carry out terrorist attacks.