Syria Reportedly Offers Help, Rifi Says No Evidence that Estonians Crossed the Border

Syria has offered Lebanon help to locate seven Estonians who were kidnapped in the Bekaa valley late last month, As Safir newspaper reported on Saturday.

“A Syrian official contacted one of the Lebanese officials” to offer assistance in the case of the abducted Estonians, the daily said.

Internal Security Forces Chief Maj. Gen. Ashraf Rifi refused to confirm reports published by an Estonian website that the tourists were transferred to Syria. The search is now focusing on finding the ringleader, Wael Abbas, he reportedly said.

“There is no evidence that proves the Estonians were transferred to any other place,” Rifi told As-Safir.

He unveiled to al-Liwaa daily “there are two groups, the first participated with the ringleader in the abduction … the second cooperated in transferring the hostages to another place.”

Meanwhile, sources confirmed to An-Nahar daily that security forces are tracking down the ringleader and his partner.

However, The Daily Star newspaper reported that a source familiar with the investigation said security forces may say that Abbas had left Lebanon even if he remained in the country, in a bid to get him to drop his guard.

“Wael Abbas is trying to escape now. He may not have left Lebanon, but if not, he is making plans to (leave),” Rifi said.