Abou Faour: Some Progress in Troops Case, Turkey Promised Salam to Help

Health Minister Wael Abou Faour revealed Saturday that Turkey has promised the Lebanese government to offer help in the case of the captive troops, noting that “some progress” has been made.

“Salam urged the Turkish state to intervene and Turkey has promised to act. I hope these (Turkish) remarks will help resolve this case,” Abou Faour announced at Dahr al-Baidar after meeting with families of abducted troops.

The families have been blocking the vital road that links Bekaa to Mt. Lebanon and Beirut for days now, but the minister said he did not press them to reopen it.

They later announced, however, that the road will be partially reopened “for humanitarian cases and for the army and the Red Cross.”

“Things have started to make some progress and I hope there will be some fairness towards the negotiations that are being conducted by the state,” Abou Faour said.

“Let us not implicate the case of the captive troops in the political debate and everyone is saying that major efforts must be exerted to secure the release of the troops,” he added, in response to a reporter's question.

Conflicting reports have emerged on whether the multi-party negotiations have made any progress.

On Friday, LBCI TV said a “Syrian-Syrian deal” that is currently in the making might involve the release of the captive Lebanese troops, noting that “the negotiations have apparently matured.”

The TV network also reported that Hizbullah will play a key role in the alleged deal given its close ties with the Syrian regime and the fact that “it has dozens of al-Nusra Front and Islamic State captives in its custody.”

But cabinet ministers denied in remarks published in An Nahar daily on Saturday that there was any progress in the case.

For its part, al-Nusra Front has announced that it will not negotiate the release of Lebanese soldiers and policemen unless the Lebanese authorities resolve the situation in the northeastern border town of Arsal.

“There is no negotiation on our behalf in the case of the Lebanese soldiers being held captive until things are fully fixed in Arsal,” the group said in a tweet.

Meanwhile, al-Liwaa daily said that al-Nusra and the IS are demanding the release of five high-profile terrorists from Lebanese prisons, a condition that is likely to be rejected by Lebanese authorities.

It identified the five as Abou Salim Taha, Joumana Hmeid, Imad Jomaa, Naim Abbas and Omar al-Atrash. All five are in custody for involvement in terrorist activities in Lebanon.

The troops were taken hostage during deadly clashes between the Lebanese army and Nusra and IS gunmen in and around Arsal on August 2, in one of the most dangerous spillovers of the Syrian conflict to date.

The fighting ended with a ceasefire on August 7.

The militants later executed three of the hostages and are threatening to kill more captives if Lebanese authorities do not meet their demands.

The kidnapping and executions have caused deep anger and anxiety in Lebanon and led to a backlash against Syrian refugees in some places.

Y.R.