Cabinet Exerting Efforts to Resolve Case of Abducted Servicemen: Only Ibrahim Tasked with Negotiations

Cabinet endeavors to resolve the hostage crisis contributed in the positive path that the case is witnessing, al-Akhbar news paper reported on Saturday.

Ministerial sources told the newspaper that the government's decision to limit negotiations to General Security chief Major General Abbas Ibrahim and adopting the secrecy policy succeeded in receiving positive signs by the abductors.

The sources said that Salafist Sheikh Wissam al-Masri is acting upon his own will and “his statements are not being handled in a serious manner by the cabinet.”

“There are several sides contacting Ibrahim and Masri isn't one of them,” the sources added.

“The families of the abducted servicemen are convinced that their escalatory moves and blackmailing the country are useless.”

On Tuesday, al-Masri announced after a brief visit to Islamic State militants on Arsal's outskirts that the group is demanding a border “buffer zone” to “protect” Syrian refugees in the area as well as a “hospital” for treating the wounded and the release of women prisoners from Lebanese jails.

The Lebanese policemen and soldiers were taken hostage during deadly clashes in and around Arsal in early August with the Qaida-affiliate al-Nusra Front and the IS group.

Sixteen policemen and soldiers are still being held by al-Nusra while nine are in the captivity of the IS.

Al-Nusra has said previously that the hostage crisis would end if 10 inmates held at Lebanese prisons would be freed for each hostage or seven Lebanese inmates and 30 female prisoners held in Syria would be released for each abducted soldier and policeman or if five Lebanese and 50 women inmates would be freed.

The group added that the swap with the prisoners held at Syrian prisons should take place in Turkey or Qatar, while the exchange with the Lebanese authorities should take place on the outskirts of the town of Arsal.

H.K.

D.A.