Families of Arsal Abductees Meet Sons in Outskirts of Town
The families of the Arsal hostages met their sons on Saturday after the kidnappers agreed to the step as a good-will gesture on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr.
Families of the abductees arrived at the northeastern border town of Arsal and were later transported to its outskirts to meet their sons, the state-run National News Agency reported.
Three passengers buses transported the families to the destination.
Following their return, several family members said: "Our children are in good heath but the negotiations (for their release) have been frozen."
On Friday, Sheikh Mustafa al-Hujeiri received a call from Abou Malek al-Talli, the so-called emir of al-Nusra Front in Qalamoun, asking him to inform families of the abductees to head to the outskirts of Arsal to meet the kidnapped.
The soldiers and police were taken hostage by al-Nusra Front and Islamic State group fighters when they overran Arsal in August last year.
The jihadists have executed four of the captives.
Among the demands of the hostage-takers is the release of Islamists from Roumieh.
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