Report: Abducted Turks Moved from Dahieh ahead of Security Deployment
The captors of the two Turkish pilots moved them from Beirut's southern suburbs to an unknown location ahead of a security deployment in the area.
According to An Nahar newspaper published on Thursday, the two pilots are no longer in Dahieh and freeing them became more “complicated.”
“The abductees have no intention to allow anyone to meet the two pilots,” sources told the daily.
Around 1,000 army troops and security forces deployed Monday in Dahieh where Hizbullah normally keeps a tight grip on security.
The security points were established after car bombings in the area killed 27 people on August 15 and wounded more than 50 on July 9.
Following the bombings, Hizbullah turned the southern suburbs into a fortress with guards in civilian clothes policing the streets, stopping and searching cars, and asking motorists for their identity cards.
Media reports said earlier that the abducted Turks are being held at a house near Beirut's Dahieh neighborhood.
A previously unknown group calling itself Zuwwar Imam al-Rida claimed the abduction, and demanded that Turkey use its influence with Syrian rebels it backs to secure the release of the nine pilgrims.
Lebanese authorities have since arrested three suspects and charged them in connection with the pilots' the abduction.
The families of abducted Lebanese in Syria's Aazaz, who hold Turkey responsible for the delay in their release, continuously denied any involvement in the kidnapping of the Turks.
In May 2012, eleven Lebanese pilgrims were kidnapped in Syria's Aleppo region as they were making their way back to Lebanon by land from pilgrimage from Iran. Two of them have since been released, while the rest remain held in Aazaz.
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