'Slow Progress' in Troops Case as Families Urge Captors to Stop Death Threats to Facilitate Talks

The families of the troops abducted by Syria-based jihadist groups on Thursday urged the kidnappers to stop threatening to kill more soldiers, as highly-informed sources said negotiations have made “slow progress.”

Prime Minister Tammam “Salam told us that the negotiations have not stopped and that the demands received by the government need some time,” Jamaa Islamiya member Ahmed al-Ayyoubi said on behalf of the families after a meeting with the premier.

“We'll keep mobilizing towards the government and towards the parties that are detaining our sons,” Ayyoubi added.

He warned that “any harm against them does not serve the goals of the kidnappers.”

In response to a reporter's question, Ayyoubi added: “We said that the abductors have a feeling that the negotiations have ground to a halt, but the arrival of the Qatari envoy can revive the talks.”

“The main principle is stopping the death threats permanently so that the government can continue negotiating,” he went on to say.

Highly-informed sources had told As Safir in remarks published Thursday that negotiations overseen by General Security chief Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim in Qatar to release the troops have made a “slow progress.”

They said Ibrahim has met with the head of the Qatari Intelligence agency, Ghanim al-Kbaisi, and Turkey's intelligence chief Hakan Fidan to agree on the framework of the mediation aimed at releasing the captives.

On Thursday, he briefed PM Salam on the results of his talks.

A Syrian official tasked by Qatar with directly negotiating with the militants is expected to return to the northeastern border town of Arsal to meet with Islamic State group and al-Nusra Front representatives to hear their demands.

The militants overran Arsal in August and engaged in heavy clashes with the Lebanese army. During their withdrawal, they took with them hostages from the military and the Internal Security Forces.

They later beheaded two of them.

On Tuesday, gunmen crossed the border from Syria and kidnapped a soldier from his parents' farm on the outskirts of Arsal.

The IS also threatened to behead another soldier over what it described as the Lebanese government's “lies” and “procrastination” in the negotiations over the abducted troops.

There are conflicting reports on the demands of the militants. But a request to release accused Islamic militants from Lebanese detention and the withdrawal of Hizbullah fighters from Syria are among them.

As Safir quoted sources as saying that some of the demands are “acceptable” and the Lebanese authorities could meet them to secure the release of the captives.

But others are “complicated,” they added, without giving further details.

The families of the captives have been holding protests across Lebanon to demand the release of their loved ones.

On Thursday, they rallied near the Grand Serail as a delegation visited Salam to request answers.

G.K./Y.R.