Officials, Families Hail Release of Servicemen, Hope IS Hostages Will Be Freed

Officials welcomed on Tuesday the release of the servicemen that were kidnapped by the al-Qaida-affiliated al-Nusra Front, while hoping that efforts will be made to ensure the release of the hostages held by the Islamic State extremist group.

Health Minister Wael Abou Faour paid a visit to the sit-in held by the servicemen's families in downtown Beirut, pledging that the “state will not waver in exerting efforts to release the remaining hostages.”

Head of the Mustaqbal Movement MP Saad Hariri declared via Twitter: “We thank all those who contributed to the release, especially Qatar.”

“We congratulate the servicemen on their return to freedom and to their homeland. This is a joyous occasion for all the Lebanese and a victory for the perseverance of the army and security forces against all pressure,” he added.

These sentiments were echoed by Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq, who said: “The seriousness of the General Security did not go in vain and its efforts resulted in the release of the abducted soldiers.”

For its part, the General Security said in a statement: “We will spare no effort to bring back the servicemen kidnapped by the IS.”

Marada Movement chief MP Suleiman Franjieh meanwhile congratulated the Lebanese people on the release of the servicemen and hoped the rest will be freed as well.

Justice Minister Ashraf Rifi told al-Jazeera television: “Today we close the chapter of the servicemen held by al-Nusra Front and hope to focus attention on ones held by the IS.”

The AMAL movement later said: “The joy on this day remains lacking given that some hostages are still being held by the IS.”

Meanwhile, Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea hoped there will efforts for the released of the IS-held hostages, thanking Qatar and its leadership, Prime Minister Tammam Salam, General Security chief Abbas Ibrahim “and everyone who contributed to the release of our servicemen.”

In downtown Beirut, where relatives of the kidnapped servicemen have manned a protest camp since they were seized, there were tears of joy and relief.

Relatives gathered around televisions to watch as their sons, husbands and brothers prepared for their release.

Several screamed and ululated and even broke into the Middle Eastern dance known as dabke to express their joy.

Others distributed sweets or threw petals and rice into the air.

"I've been awake day and night for the last few days, because there were positive signs," said Marie Khoury, whose brother George was among the released men.

"There will be seven days of drumming and celebrations in Kobayat," she said, of their ancestral village.

- 'Don't forget about us' -

But she added: "Our joy is incomplete without the release of those held by the Islamic State group and we hope that the Lebanese state will intensify its efforts for their release."

Amid the celebrations, the mother of one of the IS hostages came to congratulate the families of those being freed, but quickly dissolved into tears.

"Don't forget about us," she pleaded with them, as they assured her they would continue to pressure the Lebanese government to secure the release of the remaining hostages.

Sixteen servicemen held by the al-Nusra Front were released earlier on Tuesday through a Qatari-mediated deal that included the prisoner swap with the extremist group.

They were released on the outskirts of the northeastern border town of Arsal after 15 months in captivity.

They were abducted in the wake of clashes between the army and the IS and al-Nusra Front in Arsal in August 2014.

Four of the hostages were executed, while nine are still being held by the IS.

M.T./Y.R.