Families of Arsal Captives Grant Cabinet 48-Hour Ultimatum, Warn of 'Day of Anger'
The families of the abducted soldiers and policemen gave on Monday the government a 48-hour ultimatum to resolve the case of their sons, warning of a “Day of Anger.”
The relatives announced in a press conference from Riad al-Solh square near the Grand Serail that Wednesday will be a “Day of Anger.”
“We will boycott negotiations with the cabinet and the military authorities as no positive signs are looming in the horizon,” they told reporters gathered at their protest camp.
Last week, the families backed down on a previous warning of staging a “Black Friday” in Beirut if no positive breakthrough happened.
The decision came after a meeting with Higher Defense Council chief General Mohammed Kheir.
The families told reporters that the cabinet is seriously dealing with the case.
The troops and police were kidnapped by militants from al-Qaida-linked al-Nusra Front and the Islamic State group when they overran the northeastern border town of Arsal in August and engaged in bloody clashes with the army.
Their capture and the failure of the Lebanese authorities to secure their release sparked protests across Lebanon.
The families are fearing that the extremists would kill their loved ones after they executed three of the hostages in August and September. They had moved their protest from Dahr al-Baidar to Beirut's Riad al-Solh Square, erecting three tents to pressure the state to exert more efforts to release their relatives from captivity.
The kidnappers have several demands to release the captives. One of them is the freedom of Islamist inmates in Roumieh prison.
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