BEIRUT: The relatives of the captive soldiers and policemen temporarily left their Downtown Beirut protest site Sunday to offer condolences to the family of policeman Ali Bazzal, who was executed by the Nusra Front Friday.
After reversing their decision to escalate their protests in response to Bazzal’s death, the families headed to the eastern village of Bazzalieh to offer their condolences and stand by the slain captive's family.
“Our revenge will not be [taken] againt Arsal,” one of the parents said during a news conference from Bazzalieh, in reference to the northeastern border village from where the captives were abducted by jihadis in August.
“Our revenge will be taken against the Grand Serail.”
Four members of the families’ committee made speeches from the funeral, all accusing the Lebanese government of inaction and negligence.
“You have never known courage,” the parent said addressing Prime Minister Tammam Salam, calling on him to act quickly to free the 25 remaining captives.
They stressed that they only expect the Lebanese state to act for the release of their sons, and that they will not refer to any other country or actor.
Meanwhile families of the remaining 25 Lebanese captives Sunday continued blocking the Qalamoun road in north Lebanon linking Tripoli to Beirut. The families closed the road Saturday after news emerged of Bazzal's killing late-Friday.
Nusra Front announced that it had executed Bazzal late Friday in a tweet with a picture of a man said to be of the captive with a machine gun firing shots at his head.
The families of the captives have been camped outside the Grand Serail in Downtown Beirut over the last two months to pressure the government to negotiate the release of the servicemen.
More than 30 police and soldiers were abducted by militants from ISIS and the Nusra Front during a five-day battle with the Army in Arsal in August.
Four have since been executed, and seven released.
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