2 Held as Army Seizes Truck of Gunmen who 'Threatened' Bishop

An army force on Monday raided the town of Dar al-Wasaa, west of Baalbek, and seized a truck belonging to gunmen who last week “threatened” a bishop and a priest in the Bekaa region, state-run National News Agency reported.

It said the red Tacoma pickup was used by the gunmen during last Monday's incident.

Later on Monday, an army statement said troops arrested Hussein Mohammed Allam and Haitham Hammoud Nassereddine at a military checkpoint.

“They were riding in a Tacoma pickup carrying no license plates and they tried to flee the checkpoint,” the statement said.

“A Kalashnikov rifle, its ammo, and military gear were seized in the truck,” it added.

Bishop Khalil Alwan and Father Elie Nasr were traveling in a convoy from Bkirki to Deir al-Ahmar when they were intercepted by gunmen riding in three vehicles.

The armed men demanded that the bishop deliver a message to Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi to pressure authorities to release the wife of the detainee Mohammed Dora Jaafar.

The woman was arrested at the Dahr al-Baidar checkpoint in connection with the abduction of Marc al-Hajj Moussa in early August.

Moussa was abducted by armed men on a road in the Metn town of Mazraat Yashouh while on his way to his home in Bikfaya.

He was released on Saturday after his family paid the captors a ransom of 350,000 dollars.

Y.R.