Lebanon's prime minister on Saturday headed to the Syrian capital, Damascus, on his first official visit to meet the new government there, after border clashes left dozens of Lebanese soldiers injured last week.
The prime minister, Najib Mikati, spoke with Ahmad al-Shara, the leader of the new Syrian government, on Saturday afternoon, according to the Lebanese prime minister's office. Mr al-Shara heads Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the Islamist group that led the coup that overthrew the decades-old regime of Bashar al-Assad, Syria's former president, last month.
Mr Mikati's visit came after the election of Joseph Aoun as Lebanon's president this week after two years in the vacant office. Mr. Aoun will soon begin consultations on appointing a new prime minister next week.
In Syria, Mr. al-Shara faces the challenge of bringing order to a country that has been ravaged by a 14-year civil war that has divided it into several warring regions and fueled the proliferation of armed groups.
Lebanon, like other countries bordering Syria, fears that its internal turmoil could spill over into its territory. Last week, at least five Lebanese soldiers were injured when violence erupted along the Syrian border after Syrian terrorists opened fire on Lebanese soldiers. The Lebanese army said its troops were trying to close the illegal border in the area.
Mr. Mikati spoke on the phone with Mr. al-Shara after these incidents. During the call, Mr al-Shara promised that “the Syrian authorities are doing everything necessary to restore peace on the border and prevent this issue from happening again,” Mr Mikati's office said at the time.
Further underscoring those challenges, Syrian state media announced on Saturday that security forces had arrested people suspected of belonging to the Islamic State who were planning a major attack in Damascus.
The two men had planned to use explosives at the Sayeda Zeinab mausoleum, a highly revered Shiite Muslim shrine on the outskirts of Damascus, according to state-run SANA.
While the international coalition led by the United States has dealt a major blow to ISIS in its former strongholds in Iraq and Syria, the group is still active in other areas, and continues to promote cyber attacks.
Here's what's happening in the region:
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Ceasefire talks in Gaza: Efforts to reach an agreement in the Gaza war to free the remaining hostages are ongoing in the Qatari capital, Doha. Steve Witkoff, President-elect Donald J. Trump's incoming Middle East envoy, met Friday night with Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, the prime minister of Qatar. The two discussed “efforts aimed at reaching a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip,” among other issues, according to the Qatari foreign ministry. Qatar and Egypt have been mediating between Israel and Hamas – which refuses to negotiate directly – with help from the United States.
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Rockets from Gaza: More than 15 months into the war between Israel and Hamas, Palestinian terrorists are still firing weapons in the Gaza Strip, although both Israeli and American officials say the group's military strength has declined significantly. A siren sounded in Kerem Shalom, an Israeli border community, on Saturday after a rocket was launched south of Gaza; Israeli forces say they have been successfully intercepted.
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