BEIRUT: The families of the Lebanon's captive soldiers and policemen visited Thursday prominent Salafist sheikh Mustafa Hujeiri in the northeastern town of Arsal to congratulate him on the release of his son, media reports said.
The reports said the families were also determined to discuss the hostage crisis with Hujeiri, a former mediator between Lebanese government and the jihadis holding the captives on Arsal’s outskirts.
Baraa Hujeiri, the 17-year-old son of Sheikh Mustafa Hujeiri, was released late-Wednesday after his family paid a LL6 million ($4,000) bail.
He had been in jail for three months after being accused of transporting weapons and participating in clashes with the Lebanese Army.
Mustafa Hujeiri is also wanted by police over terror links. He was charged earlier this year with belonging to the Nusra Front.
But Hujeiri has also been credited with helping postpone the killing of captive servicemen, and the families of the hostages have expressed gratitude to him over his efforts to negotiate with the captors.
Nusra and ISIS are still holding around 25 Army soldiers and policemen abducted during a 5-day battle with the Army in Arsal more than four months ago.
The jihadis originally abducted more than 30, but eight have since been released, and four killed.
Advertisement
No comments:
Post a Comment