BEIRUT: The families of Lebanon's captive soldiers and policemen burned tires outside the Grand Serail Monday to alarm the Lebanese authorities to the kidnappers’ ongoing threat to kill one of their sons.
“The threat is still on, and the government has done nothing to eliminate it,” Hussein Youssef, the father of captive soldier Mohammad Youssef, told The Daily Star in reference to Friday’s threat by the Nusra Front to kill soldier Ali Bazzal.
After General Security Chief Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim negotiated with Nusra through mediators, the kidnappers accepted to stop the execution. Nusra confirmed in a statement Saturday that the execution was on hold.
However, the statement only stated a “delay,” and not a cancelation of the killing, which has kept the families anxious about losing any of their sons.
At least 26 soldiers and policemen are still being held by Nusra and ISIS on the outskirts of Arsal, on Lebanon’s northeastern border.
Youssef said in the phone interview that Arsal’s Sheikh Mustafa al-Hujeiri told the wife of Bazzal, Rana Fliti, on Monday that he could not give the kidnappers what they want for them to keep their promise.
“It seems that we are still at the starting point,” Youssef said, stressing that the attempts to reach government officials have been faced by rejection.
“We are trying to contact officials for new information but they are not responding,” he said. “Minister Wael Abu Faour, whose information is always transparent, says the talks with the kidnappers are ongoing to ensure they commit no executions before reaching a swap deal.”
The Lebanese government has been following up on the matter through the crisis cell that includes top security officials and ministers. The negotiations have been carried out through a Qatari-appointed Syrian mediator.
The kidnappers are demanding the release of Islamist prisoners in Lebanese and Syrian jails.
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