Al-Nusra Demands 'Two Syrian Towns' in Return for Freeing Arsal Captives
Al-Qaida's Syria branch al-Nusra Front has demanded control over two regime-held Syrian towns near Lebanon and the release of five women from Lebanese jails in return for freeing the captive Lebanese servicemen, a spokesman for the hostages' families said on Monday.
“Al-Nusra's emir in Syria's Qalamoun, Abou Malek al-Talli, has sent a new demand with the families who visit their sons every now and then in the vicinity of (the Lebanese border town of) Arsal,” Hussein Youssef, the father of captive soldier Mohammed Youssef, told Turkey's state news agency Anatolia.
Al-Talli wants “control over the towns of al-Maara and Flita and the release of five women from Lebanese jails in return for freeing the captives who are in his custody,” Youssef said.
He revealed that the families had passed on the new demands to Prime Minister Tammam Salam during their meeting with him on Monday.
“We have full confidence in the premier and in General Security chief Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim and High Relief Council chief Maj. Gen. Mohammed Kheir, who are following up on the case with notable seriousness,” the spokesman added.
Asked about the families' channels of communication with al-Nusra Front, Youssef said the messages are being exchanged through “mediators.”
He however noted that contacts have been severed with the extremist Islamic State group for months now.
“We don't know anything about our sons who are in the custody of this group,” he added.
The towns of al-Maara and Flita are currently under the control of the Syrian regime and Hizbullah, according to Anatolia.
Syria's civil war has regularly spilled over into Lebanon, with Nusra and IS jihadists briefly overrunning the town of Arsal in August 2014 after gunbattles with the Lebanese army.
The jihadists withdrew after a ceasefire, but took with them several dozen hostages from the army and police, four of whom have since been executed.
Y.R.
16 November 2015, 23:50
54
What do you mean emir of qalamoun, I thought that nasrallah liberated syria's qalamoun..
17 November 2015, 17:27
21
a very good deal? first how can we give two towns that dont belong to us? They dont even belong to the regime, but to their inhabitants, did it occur to you that they might not want to be "given" to death-loving rapists and beheaders?
and second, what do you think they will do in their towns other than train, use it as base for attacks and prepare booby trapped cars?
only a true terrorist supporter could say such thing, and it's no surprise since you were cheering them last week after they killed civlians in dahieh. tfeh 3aleik, the only thing i'm willing to give to nusra is you and your family. w la reddouk.
17 November 2015, 17:53
22
i agree that nothing is to be given to terrorists, tripoli or other, but dont even dare say shebaa is not lebanese. everybody knows it is, including the UN and israel
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/un-tells-israel-place-shaba-farms-in-hands-of-unifil-1.225283
"Government officials in Jerusalem said the UN cartographer handling the matter in recent months has determined that the area is indeed Lebanese. The officials added that Syria and Lebanon also agree that the area is Lebanese. Therefore, the UN has said there is no reason for Israel not to relinquish control over the area."
The excuse you gave (that "it's syrian") is the pretext israel uses to continue to occupy this highly strategic spot.
17 November 2015, 18:33
12
Mowaten. Assad never admitted that Shebaa is lebanese. He wanted to use us to get it back then claim it in pure hypocrit Baathist fashion.
I dont think Israel has a problem in returning Shebaa. The problem is not with Israel. If we accepted to talk to them, they would be glad to give peace vs Shebaa. We could have shipped the pals to any country as part of a peace deal. Germany took 500000 refugees in one year. They would have taken our pals.
We would have had peace, fortified our borders and concentrated on our economy and finished with our problems.
However HA's weapons would have lost their alibi, Iran would have lost his foothold on the mediterranean, so this didnt work. Also, Nasrallah still needs to avenge the death of his son (killed by israel) and wants to drag the whole country with him. so we are stuck in this quagmire.
17 November 2015, 19:24
21
simply not true. again from the same article:
"The officials added that Syria and Lebanon also agree that the area is Lebanese. Therefore, the UN has said there is no reason for Israel not to relinquish control over the area."
