Report: Lebanese-Turkish-Qatari Efforts Underway to Release Troops Abducted from Arsal

Turkey and Qatar have kicked off efforts to negotiate the release of the soldiers and security forces abducted from Arsal following the clashes in the northeastern town, reported As Safir newspaper on Saturday.

Diplomatic sources told the daily that the initiative is being held in coordination with Prime Minister Tammam Salam and Mustaqbal Movement chief MP Saad Hariri.

General Security chief Abbas Ibrahim is following up on the case with Turkish intelligence head Hakan Fidan and Qatari Intelligence chief Ghanim Khalifa al-Qubaisi.

The sources revealed that Ibrahim had met with Fidan in the Turkish capital Ankara three days ago before traveling to Doha to meet Qubaisi.

Qubaisi relayed to Ibrahim Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani's advice that the Lebanese government provide all means to facilitate the release of the soldiers and security forces held by Islamist militants, said As Safir.

The diplomatic sources added that a mechanism to begin negotiations to hold a prisoner swap was put in place.

It calls for providing the list of the abducted Lebanese, which will then be followed by the formation of a Lebanese-Turkish-Qatari committee to follow up on all aspects of the case.

The Lebanese side has however emphasized that the captives will not be swapped with Islamists held in Roumieh Prison.

The captors are reportedly demanding the release of ten Roumieh inmates in exchange for each captive soldier, reported An Nahar daily on Saturday.

A list of the names of 32 Lebanese and Arab prisoners has been sent to the Military Command.

It includes Imad Jomaa, whose arrest prompted the Arsal clashes.

Salam meanwhile told al-Mustaqbal daily Saturday that he prefers not to disclose the details of the negotiations “in order to ensure their success.”

He also called on the media to “take into consideration the sentiments of the families of the captives” and refrain from sensationalist reporting.

A Muslim Scholars Committee delegation had announced on Friday that it was suspending its negotiation efforts to release the captives, saying that it will pave the way for other initiatives to that end.

The soldiers and security forces were abducted by the Islamist militants in Arsal at the end of clashes between the army and the gunmen in the northeastern town earlier in August.

The fighting broke out on August 2 upon the arrest of Jomaa, who is a member of the al-Qaida-affiliated al-Nusra Front.

They ended with a ceasefire on August 7 and the withdrawal of the gunmen with the Lebanese captives.

M.T.

D.A.