Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat condemned on Wednesday the kidnapping of Syrian opposition members in Lebanon, wondering if Lebanon is facing a new phase of the “infamous” security hegemony that controlled the country in the past.

He said in a statement: “All Syrian activists have the right to express their opinions freely without being subject to any harassment or pressure from any side.”

Syrian troops killed 12 civilians on Wednesday, five of whom were attending a funeral in Damascus and were caught up in the regime's continuing crackdown on dissent, a human rights group said.

However, local Syrian coordination committees reported that 25 people have been killed at the hands of Syrian security forces in Homs, Daraa, and Reef Hama on Wednesday, reported al-Arabiya television.

Angry Syrian protesters pelted a group of opposition leaders with eggs outside Arab League headquarters in Cairo on Wednesday, preventing them from entering the building for talks with the organization's chief about the violence in Syria.

The scuffle highlights the deep divisions within the Syrian opposition, which is struggling to overcome infighting and inexperience eight months into the uprising against President Bashar Assad's autocratic regime.

The March 14 General Secretariat condemned on Wednesday the ongoing security instability in Lebanon as demonstrated in the latest kidnapping of Syrian citizens in Lebanon, the most recent of which was the abduction of a Syrian national at the Rafik Hariri International Airport.

It said in a statement after its weekly meeting: “We hold the Lebanese state and concerned security authorities responsible for this issue, warning that these forces are directly linked to the Syrian regime and are providing them with security favors.”

The Syrian opposition has urged authorities in Lebanon to act over reports that more than a dozen of their members have been kidnapped.

"The executive board of the Syrian National Council has expressed its concern in a letter sent to Prime Minister Najib Miqati in light of reports by rights groups that 13 Syrian nationals have been kidnapped," the opposition group said in a statement late on Tuesday in Beirut.

An Estonian delegation arrived on Tuesday in Lebanon to follow up the investigations carried out by the Lebanese authorities with Wael Abbas, the top suspect in the kidnapping of seven Estonians, al-Joumhouria newspaper reported.

The daily said on Wednesday that the delegation has previously investigated the kidnapping of the seven Estonian tourists who were abducted for 113 days in March.

A senior U.S. official was in Beirut on Wednesday to inquire about the role of the Lebanese banking sector in the alleged transfer of Syrian money to Lebanon to escape sanctions imposed on Damascus by the United States and the European Union.

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Terrorist Financing and Financial Crimes in the Department of Treasury Daniel Glaser will hold talks with top officials to stress the need for Lebanese authorities to remain vigilant against attempts by the Syrian regime to evade the U.S. and EU sanctions (by resorting) to the Lebanese financial sector,” As Safir daily quoted U.S. sources as saying.

Speaker Nabih Berri held a meeting on Wednesday with President Michel Suleiman at Baabda palace to discuss the possibility of the resumption of the dialogue between the Lebanese foes.

A presidential statement said Suleiman and Berri discussed the latest developments and ways to restart the all-party talks.

President Michel Suleiman stressed on Wednesday the need to draw a separation line between Lebanon’s commitment to the Special Tribunal for Lebanon and its work.

In remarks to al-Liwaa daily, Suleiman said: “If there has been any flaw or mistake as happened with the case of the arrest of the four generals, then Lebanon should work on fixing that flaw.”

The EU is readying a freeze on European Investment Bank credits to Syria as it mulls further sanctions on President Bashar al-Assad's regime after months of bloodshed, diplomats said Tuesday.

A diplomatic source said the EIB would suspend new credits and freeze disbursement of outstanding credits while also stopping all technical assistance, such as audits and feasibility studies.