Arsal family releases 5 Syrian hostages in 'goodwill gesture'

BEIRUT: The Ezzeddine family in Arsal released five Syrian hostages Thursday, one day after they were kidnapped as part of a series of tit-for-tat abductions in northeast Lebanon.

Negotiations for the release of Hussein Saifeddine, an Arsal resident who was kidnapped by Syrian militants from the border village of Qara, have failed to reach a happy ending, security sources said.

The negotiations were disrupted on Wednesday by the captors from the Warde family, who set very high demands, a figure from the Ezzeddine family told The Daily Star.

The security sources said that M. Hujeiri, who is thought to be behind the kidnapping of Seifeddine, insisted on demanding a ransom as a condition for his release.

Hujeiri has several arrest warrants against him.

But despite the failure of the negotiations for the release of Hussein Seifeddine, the Arsalis released the five hostages as a goodwill gesture.

Negotiations had succeeded to give birth to an agreement Thursday morning. The deal states that the captives would be swapped either at the Arsal municipality or at the house of Mayor Ali Hujeiri.

However, this agreement failed to manifest.

Tensions remained simmering in the border town of Arsal as residents await a solution.

After Arsal residents called on officials in the border town to tighten up security measures, Mayor Hujeiri Thursday issued a decision to ban all tinted-window cars, especially those carrying Syrian license plates, from roaming in the town.

Those who do not abide by the new measures will be detained by the municipality and their cars will be seized, he said.

Armed Arsal residents had attempted to free Saifeddine on Wednesday from the Baalbek-Hermel village of Halbata after he was abducted by Syrian assailants there two days earlier.

When rescue attempts failed Wednesday, members of the Ezzeddine family kidnapped five Syrians from the Warde family suspecting their involvement in the abduction, a security source said. The Syrian captives come from the town of Qara, near the Lebanese border.