An Israeli force failed on Monday to abduct two shepherds from southern Lebanon, reported the National News Agency.

It said that 20 soldiers crossed the border at Mount Hermon and infiltrated 500 to 800 meters into Shebaa where it tried to kidnap Mohammed Qassem Hashem from Lebanon and Ahmed Haidar from Syria.

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat slammed on Monday the Syrian regime’s “latest massacre” in the town of Treimsa, accusing it of seeking to “systematically destroy the country and lead it to fragmentation.”

He said in his weekly editorial in the PSP-affiliated al-Anbaa magazine: “The Syrian people will be victorious in their revolt despite the international and Arab silence over their plight.”

President Michel Suleiman voiced on Monday his satisfaction with the Koura by-election that took place on Sunday, saying that it demonstrated the Lebanese people’s attachment to democracy.

He stressed the importance of holding constitutional obligations, such as elections, on schedule “because that is the basis of democratic systems.”

Two Lebanese men were wounded on Monday when a cluster bomb left over from the 2006 Israeli aggression on Lebanon exploded on the outskirts of the southern town of Houla.

The National News Agencies identified the men as 21-year-old Hassan Ali Mustafa and Dany Moussa Hussein, 36.

Electricte du Liban director-general Kamal al-Hayek warned on Monday of the company’s collapse due to the ongoing protests by the contract workers as the employees began a hunger strike.

LBC television reported that the employees moved their strike tent inside the company’s premises, announcing a hunger strike until the cabinet achieves their demands.

Lebanese Forces candidate Fadi Karam won the by-elections in the district of Koura with 12,412 votes while Syrian Social National Party’s Walid al-Azar was defeated by 1,271 votes, Interior Minister Marwan Charbel announced on Monday.

The ministry informed Speaker Nabih Berri about Karam’s victory during the polls held on Sunday to replace the Greek Orthodox seat vacated by LF MP Farid Habib who died in May, Charbel said.

Energy Minister Jebran Bassil expressed hope on Monday that the cabinet would swiftly approve the appointment of the personnel in the vacant posts in the oil authority.

“We should prepare for the second stage of process by issuing tenders for foreign companies to kick off oil exploration along Lebanese offshores,” Bassil told An Nahar newspaper.

The U.S. Justice Department has asked for assistance from Beirut authorities on a criminal investigation into a Lebanese man’s announcement of bankruptcy and possible ties to Hizbullah, An Nahar daily reported on Monday.

A copy of the memo was sent by the Department to the Lebanese Foreign Ministry, which asked the Justice Ministry to study it, the newspaper said.

A previously unknown group issued on Monday a statement calling on Syrian refugees to leave Lebanon immediately, media reports said.

The group calling itself al-Rida Forces said that all the Syrians currently on Lebanese territories should leave the country.

Prime Minister Najib Miqati urged on Monday the teachers to resume the correction of the official exams as the cabinet is committed to resolve the controversial issue of boosting the salaries of public sector teachers and employees.

“There is no justification or reason to suspend the correction of the official exams,” Miqati told As Safir newspaper.