Assailants Abduct Syrian National in Arsal, Threaten to Kill Him for Rasom

Unknown assailants kidnapped on Monday evening a Syrian national from the Bekaa town of Arsal's square, threatening to kill him if the ransom they requested was not paid.

"Syrian national Ziad Mehieddine Khadra reported to the Arsal police station that unknown assailants have kidnapped his father Mehieddine from the Arsal square,” the state-run National news Agency said.

The kidnappers took Mehieddine Khadra, 46, to an unknown destination and telephoned his son asking for ransom, the NNA added.

They threatened to kill the abductee in case the ransom was not paid.

On July 21, unidentified gunmen abducted three people on al-Hillaniyeh road in the Bekaa.

One of the kidnapped people, a Syrian national, was released on Sunday on the same Bekaa road after the five-day kidnap ordeal.

Also in July, gunmen abducted an engineer who hails from the Bekaa town of al-Labweh and took him away to the Arsal plains.

And on July 8, citizen Joseph Emile Bashaalani escaped a kidnapping attempt after unknown assailants opened fire at his pickup truck in the Arsal region. Bashaalani received 10 gunshots during the kidnapping attempt.

These kidnappings come as army troops and security forces have been implementing a security plan in the Bekaa, the North and Beirut.

The plan has been successful in arresting several leaders of kidnapping rings.

S.D.B.