Nusra Threatens Force to Free Prisoners as Hostages Families Say Breakthrough Expected within 10 Days

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Al-Nusra Front threatened Monday to use force to “liberate” its prisoners in Lebanon's jails, warning that the fate of the captive Lebanese security personnel would be at stake should Hizbullah wage an attack on the Syrian Qalamun region.

Meanwhile, Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq described Nusra's threat to kill the troops as “not serious,” telling a delegation from their families that their liberation is “a duty, a commitment and a national responsibility that has no room for leniency or procrastination and that won't be subject to bargaining."

A high-ranking Nusra leader earlier told Turkey's state-run Anadolu news agency that “Hizbullah is preparing an assault on Qalamun to obstruct the negotiations to release the captive security personnel who are in our custody.”

He warned that any such scenario would lead to the hostages' “death.”

“We kept the captive security personnel in Arsal until we withdrew to Syria,” the Nusra militant noted, adding that “honest negotiations” are “the only solution.”

But he threatened to “resort to the military option to liberate our captives in Lebanese prisons.”

But Mashnouq told the abducted troops' families in the afternoon that the Lebanese authorities “will not dodge their responsibilities or relinquish national dignity.”

He said “the ongoing efforts must remain under wraps” to avoid “any uncalculated step” that could “put the lives of the hostages in danger.”

In remarks to MTV, the minister noted that “the threat to kill the security personnel is not serious because they (the abductors) won't give up the only card they have in their hands.”

He pointed out that “the efforts of the Muslim Scholars Committee were very fruitful.”

“I appreciate what it did, but its retreat was not the right thing to do,” he added.

Speaking on behalf of the families' delegation, Ali Taleb said they were “relieved” by Mashnouq's remarks.

Taleb also called on the Muslim Scholars Committee to resume its mediation with the abductors.

He quoted the minister as saying that “the negotiations are serious and vigorous although away from the media spotlight” and that “progress will be made within 10 days.”

Nine security personnel held captive since early August had appeared Friday in a video posted by Nusra on social media, in which they urged Hizbullah's withdrawal from Syria in return for their release.

The nine men -- apparently eight policemen and a soldier -- are among around 34 security forces still in the hands of jihadists from al-Nusra Front and the Islamic State after fighting erupted with the Lebanese Army in and around Arsal earlier this month.

The battle erupted after soldiers arrested a top Syrian jihadist, prompting extremists to open fire on army positions and storm a police station.

Several days of fighting in the area, which lies on the Syrian border, killed 19 soldiers, 16 civilians and dozens of jihadists. It ended with a truce negotiated by Lebanese Sunni clerics, but the jihadists withdrew from the area taking their hostages with them.

The clerics who negotiated the truce had been seeking the release of the hostages, but they announced in a statement on Friday that they were suspending their mediation efforts.

They said the decision was taken "to allow other parties that are more able to deal with this issue." Lebanon's As Safir newspaper said Saturday that the governments of Turkey and Qatar were now involved in negotiations to free the security forces.

Hizbullah says it is fighting in Syria to prevent extremists from entering Lebanon, and the group dispatched thousands of fighters to Syria's Qalamun in particular, just across the border from Arsal.

The group's fighters helped regime forces recapture most of Qalamun earlier this year, with opposition fighters taking refuge in mountains along the border.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitoring group, said Saturday that fierce clashes between Hizbullah and rebel groups including al-Nusra erupted overnight.

Y.R.

S.D.B.

Comments 17
Default-user-icon setright (Guest) 25 August 2014, 16:00

Ideal Solution:
Da3esh obliterates Syrian regime
Da3esh obliterates hezbollah
USA obliterates Da3esh
Moderates win everywhere

Thumb _mowaten_ 26 August 2014, 10:51

"USA obliterates Da3esh", like they obliterated talibans? or like they obliterated extremists in libya? or like they obliterated al qaeda in iraq?
grow up kiddo, the truth is that everywhere the US goes, extremists sprout like mushrooms.

Thumb Sanelebanese 01 September 2014, 05:02

The truth: SLAM is the fertilizer of all extremists.

Default-user-icon citygirl (Guest) 25 August 2014, 16:04

4 minutes ago National News Agency: The army intelligence arrested 6 Syrians at al-Numeiriyeh's intersection after one of them wrote ISIL on a rock in the town where they live.

The army intelligence should go to dahyeh and see what is written on walls, homes, and buildings.... lol

Default-user-icon citygirl (Guest) 25 August 2014, 16:26

HA fighters are men of God with super powers

Default-user-icon shia1965 (Guest) 25 August 2014, 16:47

we are stronger than the Iraqi army, maskeen:)

Thumb www.jabalamel.fanclub.com 25 August 2014, 17:07

The Zionistical Isical terrorists will fail in their war propaganda machine as they failed in the past. The patriotic regiments of our glorious resistance will teach those bearded terrorists a lesson in biothermal warfare.

Default-user-icon ural (Guest) 25 August 2014, 18:25

The real question is why did Hezbollah help the syrian army push the terrorists into the Qalamun Mountains and the Lebanese western mountain range and border rather than away from the lebanese border. When the Syrian army's offensive aided by Hezbollah began the terrorists were attacked from the north, as they surrounded the towns from three sides one by one, they allowed the terrorists to withdraw east towards the Qalamun Mountains and western Lebanon.

Default-user-icon setright (Guest) 25 August 2014, 18:55

mowaten, when will you post anything remotely constructive? I've never seen you do that, ever.

Missing coolmec 25 August 2014, 19:03

You guys will never cease to amaze me.Why is it so hard for you to go beyond the mutal m8 and m14 blame/ you guys are so lame. The whole country is in danger and yet you continue with your stupid mutual blame.
you guys are so lame really

Default-user-icon Arash Parviz Dilshad (Guest) 25 August 2014, 19:57

hahaha! My family and I wonder how you keep doing it Flamethrower!!! You always have an answer for all their attempts at anything remotely connected to an intellectual debate.

How are you not famous and Justin Beiber is?! Not fair

Default-user-icon citygirl (Guest) 25 August 2014, 19:59

Is there any matter that you're not an expert at?

Missing imperatrice 25 August 2014, 21:52

I believe that haters either hvnt read les fables de la fontaine (probably convinced it was a zionist imperialist conspiracy theory) or have done so and willing admitting that there will come a time that their gluttony, selfishness and narcism will lead to their end
Funny bc both theories will bring their fate, ha!

Thumb nickjames 26 August 2014, 00:20

Flamethrower I don't see you responding to my comments on the other article. What was it you said, I'm afraid of debate?? Yeah that's why you run away from me and start talking trash on this article you worthless pansy.

Thumb liberty 26 August 2014, 07:52

"if I happen to be signed in"....LOL! You are signed in spreading hatred and propaganda 24/7:)!

Default-user-icon moemoe (Guest) 26 August 2014, 03:23

a grand mufti skeikh in mecca declared while talking to a fellow academic sheikhs that those groups nusra, isis...etc are satanic and the devil is riding on their shoulders and breathing in noses and should not be allowed in mecca or any sunnah mosque and issued a secret fatwa against those groups, especially the heretic so called new convert to be muslim and continue to say their faith sealed in hell fire and he saw the prophet (pbh) in dream cursing those groups and all ending for them in hell as Allah said. hell is a serious place

Thumb _mowaten_ 26 August 2014, 09:36

he was kicked out from hezbollah over 20 years ago, and it seems he never got over it.