BEIRUT: The rebel Free Syrian Army said Thursday it was making
“every effort” to locate and secure the release of 11 Lebanese Shiite pilgrims
who were kidnapped in the Aleppo region.
“The leadership is making every effort to find out where the
abductees are, and to make sure they are freed,” FSA spokesman Col. Qassem
Saadeddine said in a statement.
Saadeddine reiterated that the FSA had no involvement in this
week’s kidnappings, condemning “all acts of kidnapping people, whatever their
nationality, religion or sect.”
At the same time, he complained about the treatment of Syrian refugees
and anti-regime figures in Lebanon.
“Revolutionary Syrians in Lebanon have faced persecution, kidnap
and murder,” he charged. “We will no longer be silent on any act carried out by
any Lebanese party affecting Syrians in Lebanon.”
The pilgrims were kidnapped Tuesday while returning from Iran.
Women and elderly men were allowed to leave.
Meanwhile, a Syrian Islamist cleric, Sheikh Ibrahim Zoaby, said
he was mediating the release of the pilgrims.
“They are well and safe. We’re trying to secure their release,
but Syrian army shelling of the area has been blocking it so far,” head of Free
People of Syria group, told Reuters.
Zoaby said the kidnappers will soon issue proof of the hostages’
well-being. He said that the kidnappers want to hand over the men to the
Lebanese authorities.
Separately, the U.S. Embassy in Beirut called for the immediate
release of the hostages.
“We condemn the kidnapping of Lebanese citizens in Aleppo and
call for their immediate release,” the U.S. Embassy said on its Twitter feed.
For his part, Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour said that Lebanon’s
top three leaders are continuing to contact relevant Arab officials to secure
the hostages’ release.
“Investigations
are being conducted secretly and the issue needs more time,” Mansour told a
local radio station.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Politics/2012/May-25/174632-free-syrian-army-says-its-doing-everything-to-free-hostages.ashx#axzz1vlxK6HAx
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