Lebanese citizen George Kahmazian, who was abducted in Baalbek on Thursday, has been released after the payment of a ransom to his kidnappers, the state-run National News Agency said.

NNA said Kahmazian was set free at dawn Friday after the abductors were paid a 12,000 dollar ransom.

One person was killed and dozens were wounded in fierce clashes in the northern city of Tripoli on Thursday as the Arab Democratic Party, the main armed and political force in Jabal Mohsen, asked residents to show calm and “leave things to the army.”

“Heavy clashes are still ongoing on all the fighting frontiers in Tripoli, especially Souk al-Qameh, al-Omari Street, Haret al-Barraniyeh, al-Shaarani, al-Nasseri Mosque, Syria Street, Baal al-Darawish, al-Mallouleh, al-Mankoubin, al-Riva and Jabal Mohsen,” state-run National News Agency reported in the evening.

Prime Minister Tammam Salam on Thursday won a parliamentary vote of confidence after 96 MPs voted in favor of his government as the Lebanese Forces bloc and MP Nicolas Fattoush voted against.

Jamaa Islamiya's only representative in the legislature MP Imad al-Hout abstained from voting.

A cache of weapons and military equipment was seized Thursday in the coastal town of Naameh, around 20 kilometers south of Beirut.

“State Security agents raided an arms depot in Naameh and seized weapons, ammunition, hand grenades and military equipment,” al-Jadeed television reported.

A man was kidnapped Thursday from his Cherokee Laredo in the Baalbek region, according to state-run National News Agency.

“Gunmen in a yellow Toyota FJ Cruiser and a white Grand Cherokee kidnapped Lebanese citizen George Kahmazian after intercepting his gray Cherokee Laredo near the Dar al-Ajaza al-Islamia center in the Baalbek region town of Shlifa,” NNA said.

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi demanded on Thursday that the presidential elections be held on time, saying that it is a national duty that should be respected.

He said before a delegation from the editors syndicate: “It is shameful for us to await foreign powers to nominate a president for us.”

UNIFIL Commander Major-General Paolo Serra said on Thursday that Hizbullah and Israel are not interested in escalating the situation after the Golan incident.

Israeli public radio quoted Paolo Serra, commander of U.N. peacekeeping troops in Lebanon, as saying Hizbullah too was unlikely to want a full-scale confrontation.

The Syrian army found on Wednesday a number of explosive-rigged vehicles carrying Lebanese license plates while combing through southwest of the strategic town of Yabrud.

According to the Syrian state television, the Syrian army located a factory for manufacturing bombs in Ras al-Ain village in Yabrud and seized several booby-trapped vehicles carrying Lebanese license plates.

Syria's air force on Thursday carried out fresh strikes on areas on the outskirts of the northeastern border town of Arsal.

Voice of Lebanon radio (93.3) said Syrian warplanes carried out eight raids in two stages on Khirbet Younin on the outskirts of Arsal at noon, targeting Syrian opposition fighters.

Clashes intensified on Thursday between the Syrian regime troops and gunmen along the Lebanese-Syrian border with shelling and gunfire targeting Khat al-Petrol village in the Akkar border area of Wadi Khaled.

According to the state-run National News Agency, heavy gunfire and shelling from the Syrian side of the border targeted the northern town as battles flared up along the border.