The following are summaries of today's major stories published in the Arabic press. LBCI does not edit press digest articles for content, giving English-language readers insight into the various views expressed in newspapers across the Arab world.
An-Nahar newspaper on Friday quoted sources as saying that Lebanese Armed Forces chief Jean Kahwaji is set to travel to Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh next week to participate in a meeting for military commanders and chiefs of staff of coalition countries fighting the Islamic State group.
The said officials had convened last year in Washington and are due to hold their second meeting in Riyadh on February 18-19.
LAF chief Kahwaji will also meet heads of military delegations who will attend the meeting as well as a number of Saudi officials, according to the daily.
Sources told Al-Akhbar newspaper on Friday that negotiations with the Islamic State militant group over the captive Lebanese soldiers are “smoother” than those being held with the al-Qaeda-linked al-Nusra Front.
“Mustafa al-Hujeiri, dubbed Abu Takiyeh, has been tasked covertly to hold negotiations with the Nusra Front,” the sources said.
“However, negotiations with the IS group, via mediator (M.B.), have made progress as the abductors lowered the ceiling of their demands,” the same sources noted.
They added that “the militant group will propose the release of LAF captives in exchange for facilitating entry of food supplies, as a goodwill gesture in the Arsal captives dossier”.
Sources told Al-Akhbar daily on Friday that the Islamic State militant group has appointed a new Emir in Syria’s Qalamoun - known as “Abu Ousama al-Baniyasi” or “Abu Aisha al-Baniyasi” - as a successor to “Abu al-Houda al-Homsi”.
The sources also said that Sheikh Sirajuddin Zureiqat, the media spokesman of the “Abdullah Azzam Brigades – Al-Hussein bin Ali Battalion,” has finally moved from al-Zabadani Mountains to the Qalamoun barren range.
Military sources told Al-Joumhouria newspaper on Friday that the Lebanese Armed Forces are deployed in the Bekaa region, mainly in Arsal and Ras Baalbek, in a bid to hunt down terrorists, fugitives and smuggling rings.
“The Lebanese army will be more capable of fighting terrorists across the border after having implemented the security plan in the Bekaa villages,” the sources said.