Several southern towns in the Nabatiyeh, al-Zahrani and Tyre areas witnessed in the last few days an influx of more than 25 Syrian families fleeing the unrest in their country, Central News Agency reported Thursday.

Municipal sources in the South told the agency that some of the families were accommodated in shops due to overpopulation in the area during this time of year, while others had to reside in houses that are still under construction due to their inability to pay the rent of residential houses.

The relatives of seven Estonian tourists whose four-month kidnap ordeal in Lebanon ended Thursday hailed their release, while officials thanked France and other allies for helping win their freedom.

"Our father, sons, husbands and brothers are free! These four months were long and exhausting," the men's relatives said in a joint statement.

A number of residents of the Byblos District town of Lasa on Thursday attacked a delegation from the Maronite League which was surveying lands owned by the Maronite Patriarchate in the town, Voice of Lebanon radio (100.5) reported.

Army troops intervened to end the attack on the delegation, which was accompanied by a Maronite priest and a number of the area’s residents, the radio station said.

French Ambassador to Lebanon Denis Pietton praised on Thursday the release of the seven abducted Estonians, which was achieved through an intense investigation.

Pietton held a meeting with Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour, who said that the “visit was scheduled a while ago… to get to know Minister Mansour.”

Interior Minister Marwan Charbel revealed on Thursday that the seven abducted Estonians were released at dawn, stressing that nine people were arrested in the case, including Lebanese and different nationals.

He said after leaving the French Embassy in Lebanon: “The Lebanese state participated from a distance in the operation.”

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat discussed on Thursday the latest regional and international developments with Iranian Ambassador to Lebanon Ghazanfar Roknabadi, reported the National News Agency.

The meeting was held in the presence of Transportation and Public Works Minister Ghazi al-Aridi.

The ministerial committee charged with tackling the issue of the demarcation of Lebanon’s maritime border with Israel is set to prepare a legal and diplomatic file ahead of presenting the case to the United Nations, revealed Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour to An Nahar daily in remarks published on Thursday.

The daily noted that an international understanding of Lebanon’s position on Israel’s latest stand on the matter has emerged, saying that the U.N. should handle this file according to international and maritime laws.

The cabinet’s meeting on Thursday is set to tackle 71 articles, none of which are related to people’s everyday concerns in order to avoid addressing the accumulated critical issues, al-Liwaa newspaper reported on Thursday.

The government will discuss a plan set by Energy and Water Minister Jebran Bassil to provide the citizens with electricity on the long term, but it should be addressing how to provide it for the summer season during which the electrical network becomes overloaded, said the newspaper.

The Christian meeting that will take place Thursday at Bkirki under the sponsorship of Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi is expected to address the Christian appointments in the state institutions.

The appointments will be one of the highlighted issues discussed during the meeting aimed at bridging the gap between Christians.

Interior Minister Marwan Charbel said that only Internal Security Forces chief Major General Ashraf Rifi has the authority to shuffle the positions of officers in the ISF, including that of 12 officers and the appointment of colonel Naji al-Masri as caretaker judiciary police chief.

He made his statement in response to former minister Wiam Wahhab’s accusations on Wednesday that the Interior Minister had “appointed Masri as judiciary police chief by force.”