Families of Captive Servicemen Carry Out Threats, Block Qalamoun Highway

The families of abducted soldiers and policemen blocked on Wednesday the al-Qalamoun highway in the North in protest against the cabinet's failure to end the captivity of their sons, two days after they warned of a “Day of Anger.”

The relatives blocked the two lanes of the highway with sand, iron barricades and cement blocks.

A verbal spat occurred later between the families, who are gathered near the Grand Serail in Beirut's down town over the burning of tires.

They later headed to Beirut's Saifi area and briefly blocked the road, calling on the army to rally with them, stressing that they will not budge an inch until their sons are safely released.

The mothers also urged Army Commander General Jean Qahwaji to assume his responsibilities.

Health Minister Wael Abou Faour who arrived in Saifi was able to persuade the protesters to reopen the Saifi road after comforting them.

Abou Faour told reporters gathered near the families' sit-in that the protesters want to make sure that the government is serious in dealing with the case.

He called on them to return to their tents that are erected near the Grand Serail and to open the road as blocking roads will not lead to any result.

“The families are not outlaws,” Abou Faour added.

He said that the demonstrators are asking for assurances from the government, saying: “The government should probably reveal more details” but we fear leaks to media outlets.

The minister reiterated that negotiations over the release of the servicemen are not expected to end soon.

Abou Faour, who is the aide of Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat, stressed that the party will stand by the families even if the government neglected the case.

Kataeb Party MP Elie Marouni urged the families, who had blocked the road near the party's HQ, not to harm the people and open the road.

“The Kataeb supports your cause and our HQ will remain open for you,” Marouni said.

The Lebanese government had requested from its Qatari and Turkish counterparts to help in mediating the release of the kidnapped men, but there are no indications that negotiations are reaching a breakthrough.

On Monday, the families of the kidnapped servicemen gave the cabinet a 48-hour ultimatum to resolve the case of their sons, warning of a “Day of Anger.”

They announced the termination of negotiations with the government and the military authorities after the lack of positive signs in the horizon.

Last week, the families backed down on a previous warning of staging a “Black Friday” in Beirut. They had announced that the cabinet is “seriously dealing with the case.”

The troops and police were kidnapped by militants from al-Qaida-linked al-Nusra Front and the Islamic State group when they overran the northeastern border town of Arsal in August and engaged in bloody clashes with the army.

Their capture and the failure of the Lebanese authorities to secure their release sparked protests across Lebanon.

The families are fearing that the extremists would kill their loved ones after they executed three of the hostages in August and September. They had moved their protest from Dahr al-Baidar to Beirut's Riad al-Solh Square, erecting three tents to pressure the state to exert more efforts to release their relatives from captivity.

The kidnappers have several demands to release the captives. One of them is the freedom of Islamist inmates in Roumieh prison.

H.K.

M.T.