Al-Meqdad family
announced on Wednesday that its military wing has so far kidnapped more than 20
Free Syrian Army members in Lebanon, as well as a Turkish national, promising a
“hefty catch.”
The military wing told
LBCI television: “We may take escalatory measures depending on the latest
developments.”
“We have a bank of
targets in Lebanon and we are capable of reaching regional targets,” it warned.
“We can reach Aley,
Tripoli, and Iqlim al-Kharroub,” said an unidentified masked gunman who was
surrounded by a number of other gunmen of the Meqdad military wing.
Media report had earlier
announced that the wing had abducted a Turkish national of the Soufan family.
Voice of Lebanon radio
said that Turkish national is a diplomat called Soufan.
LBCI later broadcast
images of the passport of the Turkish national who was kidnapped by the Meqdad
family, identifying him as Aydin Tufan.
The Turkish Foreign
Ministry demanded that the Lebanese government provide information on its
abducted national, reported al-Jadeed television.
On the abduction of
Syrian FSA members, Abu Ali al-Meqdad said on behalf of the family: “The
family’s military wing kidnapped several Syrians. We are not afraid of anyone.”
He said the tribes of
the eastern Bekaa valley such as Shamas, Zoaiter, Nasreddine and Dandash are
all working together and will reveal their “big catch” on Thursday morning.
“There are over 20 FSA
members kidnapped in Lebanon,” he pointed out.
Media reports said that
over 30 members had been kidnapped.
Al-Mayadeen news channel
later broadcasted a video of the kidnapped Syrians.
According to LBCI one of
the abductees is a captain and another is an officer, who has been wounded.
He confirmed that the
military wing kidnapped another member while the press conference was underway.
Al-Meqdad’s move comes
in light of the FSA’s detention of Hassan Salim al-Meqdad in Damascus for
allegedly belonging to Hizbullah.
The family’s statement
also held Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey responsible for the kidnapping of
Hassan.
Bassam al-Dada, the FSA
political advisor, told al-Jadeed that the Syrian refuges, who are being
kidnapped in Lebanon, are not members of the FSA.
He threatened to execute
members of Hizbullah if the Syrians weren’t released.
Al-Jadeed television
later reported that the family of Lebanese national Mohammed Mansour was
informed of his abduction in Syria.
On Tuesday, Hizbullah
denied a video aired by al-Arabiya news channel claiming that the Free Syrian
Army detained a member of Hizbullah identified as Hassan Salim al-Meqdad.
The family of
39-year-old Hassan also ruled out that he is a member of the party, revealing
that he works at Jammal Trust Bank and headed to Syria a year and a half ago to
resolve some financial problems.
MP Ghazi Zoaiter, who
was present at al-Meqdad family’s house to support it, urged the government to
assume its responsibility.
He wondered if the
kidnapping carried out by the FSA is part of the democracy it is calling for.
Hatem told LBCI that the
family will kidnap factions other than the FSA if the man was not released
within 24 hours.
Another member of
al-Meqdad family vowed to abduct Turks, Saudis and Qataris also, but Abu Ali
ruled out this possibility saying that our threats to these countries will
remain political.
“We will only kidnap
members of the FSA,” he added.
Security sources told
LBCI that security measures near the Turkish, Qatari and Saudi embassies were
boosted.
His other brother,
Habib, threatened on Tuesday that the family will take escalatory measures if
he wasn’t released within 24 hours.
“We will not wait for
the government so that the fate of our son becomes the same as those 11
kidnapped men, therefore, we will not wait for the efforts exerted by Speaker
Nabih Berri or (Hizbullah) Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah,” he said.
The 11 Lebanese Shiites
pilgrims were kidnapped on May 22 by armed men in the Syrian province of Aleppo
while on their way from Iran to Lebanon.
Four of the pilgrims were
reportedly killed on Wednesday in an airstrike in the Aazaz region in Aleppo
where they were being held.http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/50090
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