Relatives of Captive Troops Rally in Beirut: Political Exploitation Will Not Lead to their Release

The relatives of soldiers and policemen held captive by Islamists since August staged a sit-in on Wednesday in Beirut's Martyrs' Square, demanding that the government exert all possible efforts to ensure the release of their loved ones.

Mustaqbal bloc MP Khaled Zahraman declared from the square: “Political exploitation of this file will not help their cause.”

“The government should do its utmost to free them and this issue should be the only article on the cabinet's agenda,” he added.

Cabinet is scheduled to convene on Thursday.

MP Hadi Hbeish meanwhile said: “This rally is a Lebanese stand aimed at asserting our keenness on the dignity and security of the captives.”

Mufti of Akkar Sheikh Zeid Zakaria urged the cabinet to “mobilize immediately” and hold emergency meetings to tackle the case.

“We should not reject solutions under any condition,” he said from the square where the demonstrators set up tents.

The soldiers and policemen were abducted by Islamist militants from the northeastern border town of Arsal in August in light of clashes in the area between the army and the gunmen from Syria.

A few of them have since been released, while two others were beheaded, prompting a backlash against Syrian refugees in Lebanon.

A ministerial panel tasked with following up on the case of the captives is mulling all the available options in coordination with a Qatari delegation, which is negotiating the release of the hostages with the Islamist kidnappers.

Later on Wednesday, the March 14 General Secretariat condemned the ongoing abduction of the troops and the recent tit-for-tat kidnappings, urging all political powers “to stand united behind the government in order to put an end to this phenomenon.”

“The abduction of the troops should be tackled wisely, not with attacks against Lebanese or Syrian people,” it added, while warning that the retaliatory kidnappings threaten civil peace.

It also urged the lawmakers of the Bekaa to mobilize immediately to contain the unrest.

M.T.

H.K.