Hariri Calls for Ending Blockade on Arsal, Army to Restore State Authority
Al-Mustaqbal Movement chief Saad Hariri held the government responsible for ending the “siege” imposed on the northeastern border town of Arsal, calling on the army to restore the state's authority.
“The ties between villages and towns shouldn't be taken hostage by gunmen,” Hariri said via his account on Twitter.
He considered the execution of policeman Ali al-Bazzal by jihadists and the ongoing abduction ordeal a crime that all the Lebanese condemn.
However, he pointed out that the “siege imposed on Arsal and avenging its residents is a service offered to the kidnappers.”
“It is unacceptable to push towards a new phase of tension that oppose the exerted efforts to contain it,” he said in a tweet.
Hariri called on the government to take swift actions regarding this matter and to resolve the case of the abducted soldiers and secure their safe return.
The security force members were captured when jihadists from the Islamic State and al-Qaida-affiliated al-Nusra Front briefly overran Arsal in August, sparking fierce battles with Lebanese troops.
Four have been executed so far, including al-Bazzal over the weekend, and the jihadists have threatened to kill the remaining hostages unless there is a deal to free Islamist prisoners in Lebanon.
Tensions were high over the weekend following the execution of al-Bazzal. Angry protesters in his hometown of al-Bazzalieh blocked roads in the area in order to cut off aid to the outskirts of Arsal, where the servicemen are reportedly being held.
Arsal has become a key conduit for refugees, rebels and wounded people fleeing strife-torn Syria.
The Lebanese Army is also carrying out precautionary military operations against posts controlled by gunmen on the outskirts of Arsal and the Lebanese al-Qalamoun region.
H.K.
G.K.
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