Ibrahim Meets Assad over Abducted Bishops
General Security chief Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim has met with Syrian President Bashar Assad to discuss the case of the bishops kidnapped by armed men in Syria in April, the state-run National News Agency reported Wednesday.
NNA did not say when the meeting took place.
But al-Liwaa newspaper reported Wednesday that Ibrahim traveled to neighboring Syria the day before to follow up the case of Bishops Youhanna Ibrahim and Boulos Yazigi.
For his part, Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi, who headed to Qatar on Tuesday on a three-day official visit at an invitation from Qatar's ruler Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, will meet with senior officials and address the case of the bishops.
According to al-Liwaa, al-Rahi will urge Qatari officials to cooperate with the Lebanese state to reveal the fate of the two bishops.
Ibrahim and Yazigi were kidnapped on April 23 in the northern Syrian province of Aleppo while they were on a humanitarian work.
Turkish sources told the newspaper that Ankara didn't acquire enough information on the condition of the two bishops and whether they are still alive or not.
“Ankara doesn't consider itself directly concerned with the matter,” the sources pointed out.
Ibrahim had played an important role in securing a three-way exchange deal reached last week.
It saw Syrian rebels release nine Lebanese pilgrims held for 17 months. Two Turkish pilots held since August were also released in Beirut.
Syrian activists said Wednesday that the government has freed 13 jailed women. The move is possibly part of the exchange.
Ibrahim had said that some imprisoned Syrian women were to be released to meet rebel demands.
The deal was brokered by Qatar and the Palestinian Authority.
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