Ayman Sawwan Freed after Clashes in Brital Outskirts
The abductee Ayman Sawwan who hails from Bekaa's Saadnayel was freed Tuesday evening in the Bekaa town of Brital, which ended a two-day kidnap ordeal that sparked major tensions in the province and road-blocking protests in his hometown.
“Sawwan has been released and handed to army intelligence agents and he is on his way to the Ablah barracks ahead of being handed over to his family,” state-run National News Agency reported.
A delegation from the Sawwan family had visited Brital and met with some of its dignitaries.
“Following intensive investigations and raids by army forces in the northern Bekaa region, Lebanese citizen Ayman Sawwan was freed this evening and handed over to the intelligence directorate which conducted the investigations to unveil the circumstances of the kidnap operation,” the army said in a statement.
Earlier on Tuesday, clashes broke out between the army and wanted suspects on the outskirts of Brital, reported MTV.
LBCI television said that the clashes erupted as the army was searching for Sawwan.
The army arrested a number of members of the Masri and Tleis families during the raid.
The abduction had led to unrest in Sawwan's hometown and prompted its residents to kidnap seven public van drivers in retaliation.
The army had raided Brital on Monday in search of the captive.
The seven drivers were released on Monday as a goodwill gesture towards the kidnappers.
Also on Tuesday, Sawwan's brother Khaled held a press conference to push the government to take efforts to release his loved one.
He stressed: “The residents of Saadnayel do not seek to create trouble. We will stage peaceful rallies to show that no one can meddle with its residents.”
A cleric at the conference warned of the eruption of strife over the abduction, urging the state to take action "immediately before the situation gets out of hand."
M.T./Y.R.
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