TEHRAN – Hossein Jaberi Ansari, the new Iranian deputy foreign minister for Arab and African affairs, met with Lebanese Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil in Beirut on Monday, discussing the latest developments in Syria and the fight against terrorism.

The meeting took place as a group of suicide bombers detonated their explosives' vests in a northeastern Lebanese village near the border with Syria on Monday, killing five people and wounding at least 15.

The blasts occurred in the predominantly Christian village of Qaa, only few hundred meters (yards) away from the border. The state-run National News Agency said four suicide bombers were involved in the rare multiple attack.

Jaberi Ansari also held separate meetings on Monday with Lebanese Prime Minister Tammam Salam and Nabih Berri, the Lebanese parliament speaker.

The Iranian Ambassador to Beirut, Mohammad, Fathali also attended the meetings.

On June 19, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif appointed Ansari, the former Foreign Ministry spokesman, as his deputy for African and Arab affairs. He replaced Hossein Amir-Abdollahian who held the post for several years.

NA/PA