Report: Gunmen Kidnap Several Arsal Residents in Retaliation to Captive Soldier
Armed men from al-Masri family reportedly kidnapped several residents from the northeastern border town of Arsal, media reports said on Monday.
According to al-Jadeed TV, the alleged gunmen abducted Abdullah al-Breidi and Hussein al-Fleiti to press the release of soldier Ali Zeid al-Masri, who was held captive, along with other soldiers and policemen, by Islamist militants.
However, LBCI reported that four were kidnapped in Arsal including Fleiti and al-Breidi.
The other two were identified as Marwan al-Hujeiri and Abdullah Sultan.
The state-run National News Agency reported that the army intelligence briefly apprehended and freed Hussein and Mohammed al-Masri after investigation revealed that they have no links to the incident.
Militants in Syria, including the Islamic State group, are holding around 20 soldiers and policemen. They were seized after militants briefly overran the northeastern border town of Arsal in August, the most serious spillover yet of Syria's conflict into the neighboring country.
The angry families of the captive men have blocked highways, burning tires and vowing to retaliate from Syrian refugees in Lebanon.
On Sunday, Prime Minister Tammam Salam pleaded in a rare televised appeal for his countrymen to be calm, as anger swelled over the continued capture of soldiers and policemen.
The call came after photos emerged showing that militants of the Islamic State group had beheaded a second captive Lebanese soldier on Saturday.
H.K.
D.A.
over 9 years
jerry
religion is like a pair of shoes find one that fits for you but do not make me wear your shoes (George carlin)
I want all the cultures of all lands be blown about my house as freely as possible but I refuse to be blown off my feet by any ( mahatma Ghandi)
so any sect that wants to rule by himself is a terrorist sect
god bless democracy
over 9 years
This is FSA-Nusra's fault for inciting the people of Lebanon.
over 9 years
No Karim it is our fault for allowing masses of refugees into Lebanon; for not arming our army properly; the LAF also has a big responsibility in what happened as if it lacks proper material and training is because millions of USD are being spent on commissions and huge compensation and benefits for the officers.
over 9 years
"Another version says that the release of the Soviet hostages was the result of extensive diplomatic negotiations with the spiritual leader of Hezbollah, Grand Ayatollah Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah, who appealed to King Hussein of Jordan, and the leaders of Libya and Iran, to use their influence on the kidnappers.[17]"
You should have copied the full reference paragraph...
over 9 years
FT you have no indication whatsoever that mustqbal forbid the army of intervening; but at some point a decision was taken by politicians and military staff to fight a battle in arsal with all the consequences or to go through negotiation. Fighting a battle in arsal had a great cost to all lebanese: civilian and military human loss when our army is very poorly equipped. Remember the heavy human cost the LAF sustained in Nahr el Bared.
You need to be wiser and stop spreading partisan hate on extremely difficult issues the country is going through. An attitude as yours spreads hate and suspicion among lebanese on baseless grounds. Interrogate mustqabal followers and they would be unanimously with the LAF and against nusra and IS
well said blabla and its a true story
with terrorists and especially salafi wahabi and da3ichi ones the only language they understand is the sword , they have it on their flag
amazing a sword near a qoran versus ??!!!!
for every laf soldier killed 100000syrians should be killed and another 100000 sent back to Syria or the gulf countries