Gunmen Abduct Soldier from Wadi Hmeid, Army Fires Flares over Area

إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية W460

A number of gunmen abducted on Wednesday a soldier from the Wadi Hmeid region in the Bekaa, reported various media outlets, as the army fired flares over the same area in the evening after detecting "suspicious movements."

The gunmen kidnapped First Adjutant Kamal al-Hujeiri from his farm in the area, said al-Jadeed television.

He has been taken to an unknown area.

LBCI television said the victim was heading to Wadi Hmeid to visit his parents.

The assailants also seized a number of cows off the farm, added al-Jadeed.

The army later issued a communique confirming the abduction.

"First Adjutant Kamal al-Hujeiri is now in the hands of the Islamic State," which has recently beheaded two troops it had abducted during clashes with the army in early August, MTV quoted a Syrian source as saying in the evening.

Earlier in the day, the military said troops opened fire at a suspect, identified as Mohammed Ahmed al-Hujeiri, after he failed to stop at a checkpoint in Arsal.

He was lightly wounded in the incident, but managed to evade arrest.

He is wanted on several arrest warrants and is a member of the Omar al-Atrash armed group.

Meanwhile, state-run National News Agency said the army fired flares in the evening over the amusement park in Wadi Hmeid "after detecting suspicious movements."

In August, the army engaged in clashes with Islamist militants from Syria in and around Arsal.

The gunmen abducted at the end of the fighting a number of soldiers and policemen. A few of them have since been released, two were beheaded, and the rest remain held by the militants.

Efforts are underway to ensure their safe release.

On Tuesday, al-Qaida-linked al-Nusra Front released a Lebanese man, several days after it kidnapped him for allegedly “disagreeing” with the terrorist group's political views.

Ahmed Hujeiri, who is also known as Ahmed Hadiya, hails from Arsal.

On Saturday, a security source told Agence France Presse that the gunmen kidnapped him "because he disagreed with their political views.”

An official in Arsal said Hujeiri was accused of "collaborating with Hizbullah.”

But the National News Agency said his kidnapping was the result of financial problems.

M.T./Y.R.

Comments 6
Thumb canadianpaul 17 September 2014, 15:48

Argument for the simpletons in Dahieh.

Thumb theresistance4.0 17 September 2014, 15:59

Its ok everyone the LAF is really controlled by HA so technically they kidnapped HA which makes this a Halal move because the Shias are trying to control the whole region and convert all the Sunnis. Thank Saudi/Nusra/ISIS/FSA for being the real being the real pillars of democracy and freedom!!

Thumb canadianpaul 17 September 2014, 17:54

Who said that we support Nusra/ISIS, you fool? We hate them as much, if not more, than we hate Hizbullah. It just doesn't mean that we love Assad, the Damascus tyrant, all of a sudden

Missing ysurais 17 September 2014, 16:55

death to bagdadi/zuriqat/jomaa/hujeiris terorist/arsal...

Missing phillipo 17 September 2014, 17:31

Sorry, forget condemning Israel, forget mentioning the LAF. HOWEVER, any country that respects itself would have sent half their army in within hours to get a soldier kidnapped by terrorists.

Thumb Mystic 18 September 2014, 03:16

Very true fact abass.