BEIRUT: The families of 25 Lebanese captive servicemen abandoned plans to escalate protests Tuesday after receiving assurances that negotiations to secure their release were ongoing.
In a statement released after they had met with General Security Chief Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim, who is representing the Lebanese authorities in the Qatari-mediated negotiations, the families said they were assured that the swap deal is nearly finished but requires further tuning.
“Gen. Ibrahim asserted that the negotiations are still ongoing and that the deal is complete, but a minor hitch remains and should be settled soon,” the statement said.
The families said Ibrahim contacted Nusra Front, which denied issuing a statement saying that negotiations were not advancing.
“We will suspend any escalation plans for the time being,” the statement said.
“We have confidence in the government which is striving to bring back its sons, and we thank Gen. Ibrahim and the government for all their efforts,” the families added.
They stressed that they have no intention to take negotiations into their own hands or to form a committee to establish contact with the kidnappers through the Qatari mediator.
The families took to the streets Monday, blocking part of Beirut’s downtown district and vowing to take unprecedented escalatory measures after an alleged statement by Nusra Front, which holds most of the hostages, claimed that dialogue with the Lebanese authorities was getting nowhere.
Nusra and ISIS are holding 25 servicemen hostage on the outskirts of the northeastern town of Arsal.
More than 30 soldiers and policemen were initially kidnapped during deadly clashes between Army and militants in Arsal last August. Each of the two groups has killed two hostages, while Nusra has freed eight.
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