A previously unknown group issued on Monday a statement calling on
Syrian refugees to leave Lebanon immediately, media reports said.
The group calling itself al-Rida Forces said that all the Syrians
currently on Lebanese territories should leave the country.
Hayat Awali, the spokeswoman of the families of the 11 kidnapped
Lebanese pilgrims in Syria, denied in comments to Voice of Lebanon radio (93.3)
any links to the statement, stressing that they don’t support any escalation
that might harm their cause.
She revealed that the 11 men will be released before the beginning
of Ramadan, expressing the families’ optimism regarding the news.
“A senior Lebanese official, who is following up the case,
promised us that they will be released before Friday,” Awali told VDL.
An Nahar newspaper published on Monday reported that the
negotiations regarding the case reached an “advanced stage,” noting that
positive outcomes might appear soon.
According to the daily, President Michel Suleiman is expected to
travel to Turkey in the coming two days if the endeavors held positive news.
The 11 Shiite pilgrims were abducted by gunmen in the northern
Syrian province of Aleppo on May 22 as they were returning from a pilgrimage to
Iran.
Their location remains unknown amid conflicting reports that they
had entered Turkish territory.
No side has so far claimed responsibility for the 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.
No news has been heard of the men except for a video aired on
al-Jazeera TV earlier in June, in which the abductees claimed they were doing
well.
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http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/46717
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