BEIRUT: The government Monday received a list of demands from the militants who have held members of the Army and Internal Security Forces captive since the eruption of Arsal clashes.
“The government has officially received a list of demands from the captors of the military [and security] personnel, as well as a video recording of them,” Sheikh Adnan Amama, a member of the Muslim Scholars Committee told The Daily Star.
The Committee of Muslim Scholars mediated the cease-fire that ended five days of clashes in Arsal earlier this month and was overseeing talks to release the captured soldiers and officers.
At least 38 members of Lebanon's security forces were taken captive by militants who overran Arsal. Several have been released since the beginning of negotiations.
Arsal resident, Sheikh Mustafa Hujeiri, known by his nom de guerre Abu Taqiyeh, confirmed Sunday that all the soldiers and policemen were alive.
Hujeiri said that the captives from the Army and the ISF were distributed amongst militant groups from the Nusra Front as well as Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syria.
Al-Jadeed reported Monday that eleven members of the Army were being held captive by ISIS, adding that one corpse was also being held by the militants.
Three other members of the Army and fifteen members of the ISF were being held by the Nusra front, Al-Jadeed said.
Two members of the ISF who were captured by extremist militants during fighting in Arsal earlier this month were freed Sunday in a sign of “goodwill,” as the Army arrested 12 Syrians who were allegedly involved in the battles.
The released policemen, Medyan Hasan and Kamal Misilmani, were received by the Army Intelligence in the Bekaa Valley, which in turn transferred them to the police station in Arsal.
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