Gunmen Abduct Barouk Resident on Outskirts of Arsal

Armed men kidnapped on Wednesday a Lebanese national on the outskirts of the northeastern border town of Arsal.

Media reports said that the abductee was buying stones from a stone crusher plant in the Wadi Hmeid region.

Voice of Lebanon radio (100.5) identified him as Maher al-Amatoury, who hails from the Chouf district of Barouk.

Arsal witnessed in August an infiltration by gunmen who withdrew to its ouskirts after abducting a batch of soldiers and policemen.

The militants executed three of them and threatened to kill more hostages if the Lebanese government did not meet their demands.

The army deployed heavily in the area since then but failed to prevent kidnapping operations, which often are in exchange for ransom.

H.K.

G.K.