Arsal Resident Abducted on Bzaliyeh-Labweh Road

A man who hails from the Bekaa border town of Arsal was abducted on Thursday on the road of the neighboring town of al-Labweh, state-run National News Agency reported.

“At 6:15 p.m., unknown individuals kidnapped Lebanese citizen Qassem Ahmed al-Atrash on the road between al-Bzaliyeh and al-Labweh in northern Bekaa,” NNA said.

In March, a tit-for-tat wave of abductions erupted between residents of Arsal and the Hermel region, after unknown individuals kidnapped 30-year-old Hussein Kamel Jaafar who hails from the Hermel town of al-Bustan. The incident prompted members of the Jaafar clan to nab several Arsal residents.

In the wake of the kidnappings, the army deployed on the international highway and set up new posts, especially at al-Labweh's entrance which is the only route to and from Arsal.