Lebanese sources reported Thursday evening that anti-Syrian Lebanese journalist Hilmi Moussa was released earlier in the day from Syrian detention. Moussa was arrested at the beginning of the week on suspicion of contact with Israeli agents.

It was not known from preliminary reports if Moussa's release was assisted by the intervention of exiled former Knesset member Azmi Bishara, who reportedly travelled to Damascus from Lebanon. Bishara is suspected of contact with Hizbullah during the Second Lebanon War of 2006.