Report: Unknown Group Demands Syrians to Leave Lebanon
A previously unknown group issued on Monday a statement calling on Syrian refugees to leave Lebanon immediately, media reports said.
The group calling itself al-Rida Forces said that all the Syrians currently on Lebanese territories should leave the country.
Hayat Awali, the spokeswoman of the families of the 11 kidnapped Lebanese pilgrims in Syria, denied in comments to Voice of Lebanon radio (93.3) any links to the statement, stressing that they don’t support any escalation that might harm their cause.
She revealed that the 11 men will be released before the beginning of Ramadan, expressing the families’ optimism regarding the news.
“A senior Lebanese official, who is following up the case, promised us that they will be released before Friday,” Awali told VDL.
An Nahar newspaper published on Monday reported that the negotiations regarding the case reached an “advanced stage,” noting that positive outcomes might appear soon.
According to the daily, President Michel Suleiman is expected to travel to Turkey in the coming two days if the endeavors held positive news.
The 11 Shiite pilgrims were abducted by gunmen in the northern Syrian province of Aleppo on May 22 as they were returning from a pilgrimage to Iran.
Their location remains unknown amid conflicting reports that they had entered Turkish territory.
No side has so far claimed responsibility for the abduction, but various sides had been accused of being behind the incident, including the Free Syrian Army, which has denied any involvement in the case.
No news has been heard of the men except for a video aired on al-Jazeera TV earlier in June, in which the abductees claimed they were doing well.
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