Report: ISF Arrests Baathist Network that Kidnaps Anti-Assad Syrians
The Internal Security Forces Intelligence Branch has arrested a network allied with the Syrian regime that kidnaps opposition members and hands them over to the authorities in Damascus, al-Mustaqbal daily reported on Friday.
The newspaper quoted a high-ranking security official as saying that the cell is led by Majed Mansour, a Baath Party official in the West Bekaa.
The group, which includes Baath party members, had been recently abducting Syrian opposition members and smuggling them to Syria to be executed later on, the source said.
Their latest victim was Syrian Mohammed Ahmed al-Naamani who was kidnapped five days ago from an area in the West Bekaa and was handed over to intelligence officers in Damascus.
The official, who was not identified, told al-Mustaqbal that the Intelligence Branch carried out coordinated raids on Thursday to arrest the cell's members.
Mansour was able to escape but his brothers Khaled, Alam and Mansour were arrested, the official said.
The ISF also apprehended Syrian Mahmoud Hassan and seized arms from the house of the cell leader.
Other network members were arrested during raids in several Lebanese regions.
So far, seven suspects are in custody, the official said, adding that security forces are pursuing three others.
But LBCI said the number of arrested suspects rose to nine on Friday.
One of them was seized after he was injured during a raid carried out by the ISF in the West Bekaa, it added.
G.K.
H.K.
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