Hizbullah Fighter Ayyad Freed in Return for Two Captives
Hizbullah managed Tuesday to secure the release of one of its fighters who had been in the custody of Syrian groups in the mountains of the Qalamun region near Lebanon's border, which has been witnessing fierce clashes in recent months.
“The captive Imad Ayyad was freed at noon following weeks of negotiations with the abductors,” Hizbullah's media department announced in a statement.
Ayyad was released “in exchange for two gunmen who were in Hizbullah's custody,” the statement revealed.
Earlier on Tuesday, Hizbullah's al-Manar television said “the captive Imad Lobnan Ayyad was freed following weeks of negotiations with al-Nusra Front,” al-Qaida's official Syria affiliate.
A Hizbullah source, meanwhile, flatly denied to Agence France-Presse any al-Nusra involvement in the deal, referring instead to Ayyad's kidnappers as "gunmen in Qalamun."
OTV meanwhile said that negotiations over Ayyad took place between Hizbullah and the rebel Free Syrian Army.
Later on Tuesday, Ayyad received a hero's welcome as he arrived at his residence place in Beirut's southern suburbs.
“We congratulate all Lebanese on the liberation of resistance hero, freed captive Imad Ayyad,” deputy head of Hizbullah's Executive Council Sheikh Nabil Qaouq said in a speech from the location.
“The joy will not be complete before the (Lebanese) servicemen are freed from the captivity” of al-Nusra Front and the Islamic State, Qaouq added.
He also conveyed the congratulations of Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah to Ayyad and his family.
Hizbullah is allied to Syria's President Bashar Assad, and has sent thousands of fighters to support his army's bid to quell a nearly four-year revolt across the country.
The Lebanese group has played a key role in fighting around Damascus, especially in Qalamun.
The prisoner swap comes as Qatar-mediated talks try to secure freedom for 27 Lebanese soldiers and policemen held hostage by al-Nusra and the IS since August after a fierce battle for the Lebanese border town of Arsal.
Three soldiers held by the jihadist groups have already been executed.
Ayyad had appeared in an Internet video published on October 9, in which he urged his family to “meet the demands” of the Free Syrian Army should they be contacted by the rebels.
The Hizbullah fighter also announced that he hails from southern Lebanon as websites close to the party said the 24-year-old man is from the Tyre District town of Tayrfilsay.
Answering the questions of his captors in the video, Ayyad said Hizbullah tasked him with “a mission in Qara and Assal al-Ward in Qalamun's mountains,” noting that he was a “Hizbullah reservist.”
He said he was among “four Syrians and three Lebanese” guarding a “Hizbullah-commanded” post in Qalamun's mountains.
“There are 200 Hizbullah fighters in Qalamun's mountains and there are Syrians operating under our command … We also have fighters specialized in air defense,” Ayyad added.
On October 21, the young fighter appeared in another video in which he expressed surprise over “lack of efforts” to secure his release and urged his family to communicate with Hizbullah officials.
Ayyad was taken captive during a deadly assault by Qalamun-based militants against several Hizbullah posts along the Syrian-Lebanese border.
Y.R.
over 9 years
Bravo for Hizbollah that cares for his fighters. However, was not Hizbollah refusing that the government frees islamists in jail in exchange of the lebanese soldiers captured. Once again we are seing the contradiction of Hizbollah that are there to weaken the Lebanese state.
over 9 years
They free their terrorists but sabotage the government's efforts to free our soldiers.
over 9 years
good news for his parents ou 3a2bel our soldiers and their families
over 9 years
Mohammad Raad scorned any possible swap of Islamist prisoners for the Army and Internal Security Forces personnel held by ISIS and Nusra Front militants - September 09 2014
over 9 years
The hezb had to do this even if they were vehemently against exchanging. The Shia community is listless and dispirited no matter what the M8 medias and their Naharnet Johnny Lunchpail tell you. They're told about victories but filled body bags keep coming here. So with this they can trumpet a moral victory with photo oppts for a news cycle.
over 9 years
the exact same thing can be said about the entire Lebanese people. the hezb doesn't have priority over or exclusivity for moral boosts. and the hezb should stop talking and acting however it damn pleases.
over 9 years
Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil said Sunday that any trade off between Islamist militants in Arsal now – who are holding a number of police and army hostages – and the release of Islamists currently in jail is out of the question. - 10 August 2014
over 9 years
Hezbollah A State Within a State
over 9 years
That shows how these grouos speak same l language with little difference. Hope hom safe return to his family and never listen to anyone telling you what to do while hiding in the sewers.
over 9 years
That shows that these groups speak the same language with little difference. Hope him safe return to his family and to learn never to listen to anyone telling you what to do if they themselves are hiding in the sewers.
over 9 years
I would like to read some comments from the staunch Aounist supporters of Hizbollah about this retournement of Hizbollah covered always by clAoun.
over 9 years
you so right
over 9 years
The government could have concluded the negotiations in 1 hour. Simple: Nusra wants its members freed and we want our soldiers freed. Why it has taken so long nobody knows. It seems the tough talk of HA about no negotiations etc etc applies to the government only while they managed to get their "fighter" released.
over 9 years
Agree... I would had also thrown 30-40 Hizbcocaine fighters as a bonus to the Nusra.
over 9 years
Who from Hezbollah should we kidnap to get our Democracy back ? They have been holding it captive forever !
over 9 years
if you watched the video of this terrorist, you would know he did not even finish 5th grade let alone be an engineer. He is an uneducated outlaw just like the rest of your militia.
over 9 years
vulturedawn that is the same you said, when dozens of pilgrims were kidnapped in Syria. You called them all fighters of Hezbollah, or Shia volunteers. Which was evidently a lie.
The takfiris captured people, and forces them to say, they work for certain groups on open camera.
over 9 years
The kidnapped LAF, are also being worked to be released at the moment there is no objection to their release, only to the conditions provided by the takfiris.
Remember, there is a difference between soldiers and civilians, even though Naharnet and the takfiris depicts this one as a soldier.
over 9 years
@Musty "Remember, there is a difference between soldiers and civilians"
Hizbcocaine fighters are civilian now?
over 9 years
@American McDonald swallower.
Read my comments above again.
over 9 years
mystic are you not ashamed of what you write?
does your propaganda know any limits?
If your man is a civilian as you claim why does quaok hail him as a hero....
if your man is a civilian why is he carrying an AK-47 in the picture above....
over 9 years
Qaouq: To the resistance hero, freed captive Imad Ayyad..
I think Qaouq put an end to the argument between mystic and more educated folks Imad Ayyad is a fighter not a civilian.
over 9 years
every household in Lebanon carries a Kleshninkov for self defense. It makes no difference.
over 9 years
"Every household in Lebanon..." you should leave the nabatiye and dahye every so often...most of us don't carry around guns and wear army fatigue and carry jihadist ideologies.
over 9 years
Fortifications engineer?
over 9 years
Will do what till I go home.
over 9 years
He's more like exposed, unsupported Engineer
over 9 years
Wait*
over 9 years
If this is all that counts as victory for the opposition groupies these days, it must be going pretty downhill for them...
over 9 years
Welcome to banana republic of Lebanon, where everyone can have his own army and government, thanks to ASSad and Iran.
over 9 years
and aoun who provides the political cover for HA
over 9 years
Isnt that Pete Sampras?
over 9 years
When a terrorist of HA who was fighting in Syria freed, he is welcomed as a hero in dahieh right under the nose of the security forces and the army. But the army arrests anybody who sympathizes with the syrian opposition and labels them as terrorists. Some people still wonder if the army is not controlled by HA...
over 9 years
Mystic, it seems that Al-akhbar also got caught up in M14 including Naharnet depicting this man as Hezbollah member, imagine that..
Hezbollah member, two Syria jihadists freed in prisoner swap
http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/hezbollah-member-two-syria-jihadists-freed-prisoner-swap
But you are not to blame little guy, Hezbollah sources are confusing critters and you a simpleton wanting to believe with all your heart..
"A Hezbollah source, meanwhile, flatly denied any Nusra involvement in the deal" from the above article from akhbar.com
but then from almanar.com you get this
"Hezbollah: Ayyad Released after Weeks of Negotiations with Al-Nusra"
http://www.almanar.com.lb/english/adetails.php?eid=182752&frid=23&seccatid=14&cid=23&fromval=1
Mystic poor little gullible Mystic what do you do where do you turn..
over 9 years
Here's Mystic's "engineer":
وذكرَت وكالة الأنباء الايرانية «ايرنا»الرسمية انّ عیاد البالغ من العمر 23 عاماً، یُعتبر أوّل أسیر للحزب «یقع فی أیدی العصابات الإرهابیة المسلحة فی سوریا منذ مشارکة الحزب فی مواجهتها»، وأنّه کان وقعَ فی أسر «الجیش الحر»، بعد نفاد ذخیرته وإصابته بجروح غیر خطرة فی یده ورجلِه، خلال اشتباکات عنیفة بین الجانبین فی منطقة عسال الورد في القلمون السوریة المتاخمة للحدود مع لبنان.
over 9 years
i'm actually very happy the guy is back with his family, he's a reservist and it was not his fault he got deployed into a dangerous zone like he and his dead comrades were. Hezbollah had professional fighter supposedly to protect Lebanon but instead of doing their jobs they were sent by the Ayatollah to fight and die protecting the despot of Damascus while this guy and others like him were left barely trained to stand in for them. That's shame, made even worse the fact that Hezbollah pro fighters helped the despot of Damascus push his opponent towards the Lebanese border and into the path of the Lebanese army and the poor hapless Hezbollah reservists positions instead of fighting them in Syria where they were.
over 9 years
Musty boy, does the above photo depict your brother in arm as engineer?
Hezbollah and Al Nusrah negotiating and exchanging prisoners. That is fantastic news! Extremist militias rule!
Hope that Godzilla and King Kong will not kiss and make up anytime soon!