Families of IS-Held Servicemen Announce Return to Street Protests
The file of the nine Lebanese servicemen held hostage by the extremist Islamic State group has returned to the media spotlight again, after the families of the captives vowed Sunday to resume their street protests to press authorities to address the case.
“What's unfortunate and painful is that we are obliged to return to the streets to remind of our cause,” Hussein Youssef, a father of one of the hostages and the families' spokesman, announced.
“We are in contact with Prime Minister Tammam Salam and we will follow up on the servicemen's case until the end,” he pledged.
The fate of the nine servicemen has been shrouded with mystery for several months now and the families are demanding to know whether theirs sons are alive or dead.
The soldiers and policemen were among more than 30 servicemen who were abducted during the deadly 2014 battle between jihadists and the Lebanese army in and around the northeastern border town of Arsal.
While al-Nusra Front released 16 captives as part of a swap deal in December 2015, nine hostages remain in the captivity of the IS group and Lebanese officials have vowed to exert efforts to secure their release.
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