Female Dentist Briefly Kidnapped in Wadi Hmeid

Dentist Huda Karkaba, who was kidnapped on Saturday morning by masked gunmen in the Wadi Hmeid area of the northeastern border town of Arsal, was released the same day, the National News Agency reported on Saturday.

Dr. Karkaba was with her husband, Abdul Karim Youssef Zaarour, when she was kidnapped, said NNA.

Voice of Lebanon Radio (100.5) stated that the assailants wanted to kidnap the husband who is a forensic examiner but he managed to escape which prompted the gunman to kidnap his spouse instead.

The Islamic State and the al-Qaida-linked al-Nusra Front have been holding several troops and policemen hostage since August 2, when they overran Arsal and engaged in bloody clashes with the army.

The militants of the two groups have bases in Arsal's outskirts and in the neighboring Syrian region of al-Qalamoun.

D.A.

H.K.