Kuwaiti Abducted in Baalbek Freed

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A Kuwaiti man kidnapped in August in the eastern Bekaa valley was released on Tuesday and handed over to the authorities, a security source said.

There were no signs the kidnapping had been politically motivated, the source, who spoke to Agence France-Presse on condition of anonymity, said without elaborating.

"Thanks to the mediation of Mufti Sheikh Bakr al-Rifai, the Kuwaiti citizen... was handed over to the General Security authorities in Baalbek," the source said, referring to the top Muslim authority in the main eastern city.

"We can say for sure that the kidnapping was not politically motivated," he added.

There was no immediate word on whether any demands were made by the kidnappers or any ransom paid.

Lebanon has been hit in recent months by several waves of kidnappings, which have often been linked to the brutal civil war in neighboring Syria.