BEIRUT: Protesters put up a large tent in Martyrs’ Square in Downtown Beirut Wednesday, calling for speedy government action to secure the release of at least 22 security personnel held captive by Islamist militants.
“We came here to urge the government to act quickly and hold urgent meetings to discuss how to secure the release our beloved captives,” Akkar Mufti Sheikh Zeid Zakaria told the crowd.
"In the name of humanity, we also call on the wise politicians and the wise [leaders of all] sects to act to solve this crisis so that we don’t see a repeat of the scene of the [beheaded] soldiers.”
The protest, launched by the family of decapitated Lebanese soldier Ali al-Sayyed and locals from his northern hometown Fnaydeq, came a few weeks after ISIS released a video showing his execution.
Family members of two other kidnapped servicemen – Hussein Ammar Zakaria and Khaled Hasan al-Mouri –also joined the demonstration.
ISIS and Nusra Front jihadists fought five days of deadly gunbattles with the Lebanese Army early last month. While retreating, the militants took more than 30 soldiers and policemen hostage. They want to swap them with Islamist inmates held in Lebanon’s Roumieh Prison.
Zakaria called for the speedy trials of the Islamist detainees in the hopes that this would facilitate the swift release of the captive servicemen.
He warned the government of Prime Minister Tammam Salam against ruling out any solutions to end the hostage saga.
“We must not reject any solutions under any circumstances,” he said. “What if one of their [officials] sons were among the hostages?”
Likewise, Akkar MP Hadi Hbeish called for speedy trials but stressed there should be no bargaining for the captured soldiers.
“We want justice and fair and speedy trials, but no swap,” Hbeish said.
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