Naharnet - Families of Kidnapped Pilgrims Agree to Reopen Airport Road, June 18 2012

The families of the kidnapped Lebanese pilgrims have agreed to reopen the airport road on Monday after they blocked it for around three hours in protest against the failure to release their loved ones.

The families blamed the government for the failure, initially threatening to keep the road blocked indefinitely.

One group of families resorted to blocking the road with cars and vans, while another has turned to burning tires, said the National News Agency.

One of the family members accused officials of not exerting enough efforts to ensure the release of the captives, said al-Jadeed television.

Another said: “We have been patient, but our patience has limits.”

Al-Jadeed added that travelers heading to the airport had resorted to walking to their destination in order to avoid missing their flight.

One of the family members called on the captors to release the pilgrims, saying that none of them are affiliated with any political parties in Lebanon.

“We hope that they will free them as soon as possible,” he added.

“We are prepared to sleep on the road until our demands are met,” he stressed.

This is the third time that the airport road had been blocked over the case of the kidnapped pilgrims, said al-Jadeed.

It later reported that the families prevented a convoy from reaching the airport.

It said that the four-car envoy was encircled by the protesters and forced to turn back after a clash between the two sides.

The identity of the security official reportedly in the motorcade was not disclosed, it continued.

MTV later reported that gunshots were heard in the area.

It said that they from a car of a Hizbullah official as he was trying to safely return from the protest after being attacked by the demonstrators.

On Friday, a delegation from the families had held talks with President Michel Suleiman demanding the release of the pilgrims.

The 11 pilgrims were kidnapped on May 22 in the Syrian city of Aleppo as they were making their way back to Lebanon by land from a pilgrimage in Iran.

Their location remains unknown amid conflicting reports that they had entered Turkish territory.

No side has so far claimed responsibility for their abduction, but various sides had been accused of being behind the incident, including the Free Syrian Army, which has denied any involvement in the case.