The hopes in resolving the issue of the kidnapped soldiers by extremist Syrian groups diminished on Sunday, after the news about the “withdrawal” of the Qatari mediator.

MTV stated on Sunday evening that "the Qatari mediator is not satisfied with the path of negotiations in the issue of the kidnapped soldiers and that the government should quickly determine its demand from the kidnappers.”

Five members of Hizbullah were killed and dozens of gunmen died in clashes that erupted on Sunday between them in the outskirts of the Bekaa region of Brital.

Gunmen came from al-Qalamoun and attacked a Hizbullah position in the outskirts of Brital, forcing the party to bring additional reinforcements for its fighters in the area.

A Lebanese soldier on Sunday was injured in a shooting from Israel near Kfarshouba, prompting a retaliatory shooting from the Lebanese military.

The army stated: "One of the army positions was fired at in al-Sudana in the area of Shebaa by one of the Israeli positions on the opposite side that led to a non-hazardous injury of a soldier."

Several rockets landed on Sunday on al-Kabir river in the northern Akkar district from the Syrian side of the border, the state-run National News Agency reported.

The attack on the outskirts of al-Debabiyeh town did not cause casualties, NNA said.

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi attended at the Vatican on Sunday a landmark two-week synod of bishops on the family.

Pope Francis opened the synod of bishops from around the world, which will review Church teaching on the family and marriage.

The deputy head of the Higher Shiite Islamic Council, Sheikh Abdul Amir Qabalan, on Sunday called on the Lebanese to distance themselves from strife and to back the army.

During his sermon on the occasion of Eid al-Adha Qabalan hoped for peace and security.

There was no progress over the weekend in the case of Lebanese soldiers and policemen taken captive by jihadists in August as Lebanon celebrated Eid al-Adha.

An Nahar daily on Sunday quoted a ministerial source as saying that Prime Minister Tammam Salam was following up the negotiation process with General Security chief Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim.

The Lebanese army on Saturday opened fire at armed men in the outskirts of the Bekaa town of Arsal which borders Syria, according to media reports.

“The army opened fire from its posts in Wadi Hmeid and al-Masyadeh after detecting movements by gunmen in Arsal's outskirts,” LBCI TV reported.

Justice Minister Ashraf Rifi on Saturday stressed that the case of the captive troops is “the top priority in Lebanon,” describing their abduction as a “black point in the course of the Syrian revolution.”

“The case of the captives is the top priority in Lebanon, at the level of the government, military and security institutions, and all political sectors,” Rifi said as he visited the Qalamun highway to express solidarity with families of captive troops, who have been staging a sit-in there for days now.

Insults, attacks and curfews have become commonplace experiences for some Syrian war refugees in Lebanon, with rights watchdogs saying the community faces growing discrimination.

In many parts of the country, it is no longer unusual to see posters prohibiting "foreigners" -- understood to mean Syrians -- from being outside after 8:00 pm.