Lebanon’s prime minister left for the Syrian capital Damascus on Saturday for his first official visit to meet with the new government there, after several Lebanese soldiers were wounded in clashes along the two countries’ shared border last week.

Prime Minister Najib Mikati spoke with Ahmad al-Shar, head of the new Syrian government, on Saturday afternoon, according to to the office of the Lebanese Prime Minister. Mr. al-Shara heads Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the Islamist group that led a lightning offensive last month that toppled the decades-long rule of Bashar al-Assad, Syria’s former president.

Visit of Mr. Mikati follows the election of Joseph Aoun as Lebanon’s president this week after two years in which the office was vacant. Mr Aoun is due to begin consultations on the appointment of a new prime minister next week.

In Syria, Mr. al-Shara faces the challenge of imposing order in a country that was devastated by a 14-year civil war which divided it into several warring regions and encouraged a proliferation of armed groups.

Lebanon, like other countries bordering Syria, fears that its internal chaos could spill over into its territory. Last week, at least five Lebanese soldiers were wounded in clashes along the Syrian border after Syrian militants fired on Lebanese soldiers. The Lebanese army said its troops were trying to close an illegal border crossing in the area.

Mr. Mikati had a telephone conversation with Mr. al-Sharom after the incidents. During the call Mr. al-Shara promised that “Syrian authorities are doing everything necessary to restore peace on the border and prevent this from happening again,” the office of Mr. Mikati.

Further underscoring these challenges, Syrian state media announced on Saturday that its security forces had arrested individuals accused of belonging to the Islamic State who were planning to carry out a major attack in Damascus.

The two men planned to use explosives inside the Sayed Zeinab mausoleum, a holy site especially revered by Shiite Muslims in the suburbs of Damascus, according to SANA, the government-controlled newspaper.

While an international coalition led by the United States has largely defeated ISIS in its former strongholds in Iraq and Syria, the group is still active in some areas and continues to inspire attacks online.

Here’s what else is happening in the region:

• Ceasefire negotiations in Gaza: Efforts to reach a ceasefire in the Gaza war that would free the remaining hostages were ongoing in the Qatari capital Doha. Steve Witkoff, President-elect Donald J. Trump’s new Middle East envoy, met on Friday evening with Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Prime Minister of Qatar. The two discussed “efforts aimed at achieving a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip,” among other issues, according to Qatar’s foreign ministry. Qatar and Egypt mediate between Israel and Hamas – who refuse to negotiate directly – with the help of the United States.

• Rockets from Gaza: More than 15 months into the war between Israel and Hamas, Palestinian militants are still firing ammunition from the Gaza Strip, although both Israeli and US officials say the group’s military capacity has been significantly weakened. Air raid sirens sounded in Kerem Shalom, an Israeli border community, on Saturday following a rocket launch from southern Gaza; the Israeli military said it was successfully intercepted.