Report: Salam-Qatari Emir Talks Did not Touch on IS Held Soldiers

Prime Minister Tammam Salam has renewed his gratitude to Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani on the role that his country has played in releasing the Lebanese soldiers from the al-Nusra Front, but did not bring up the issue of the soldiers who are still held captive by the Islamic State group, al-Mustaqbal daily reported on Saturday.

Sources close to Salam said that the PM took the opportunity in a meeting with the Emir, on the sidelines of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation summit, to thank him for the role that his country had in the liberation of the soldiers.

Reports say that Salam did not bring up the issue of the soldiers that are still abducted by the IS because Qatar had said that it has no open channels with the kidnappers.

Prime Minister Tammam Salam returned to Beirut on Friday after taking part in the OIC summit that was held in Turkey.

He held meetings on the sidelines of the summit with Emir of Qatar and Turkish President Recep Tayyib Erdogan.

Late in 2015, the al-Qaida-affiliated al-Nusra Front released 16 servicemen it had abducted during clashes with the Lebanese army in the northeastern border town of Arsal in 2014.

The servicemen were released through a Qatari-mediated deal that also included a prisoner swap to release a number of inmates from Lebanese jails.

Nine hostages are still in the captivity of the IS and their families do not know much about their fate.