Report: Ibrahim Expected to Visit Turkey to Push Forward Case of Hostages

General Security chief Major General Abbas Ibrahim is awaiting the green light to head to Istanbul to tackle the case of so-called Arsal captives, al-Joumhouria newspaper reported on Tuesday.

According to the daily, Ibrahim only traveled to the United Arab of Emirates, denying talks about his trip to Turkey where he allegedly met with Qatari intelligence chief Ghanim al-Kubaisi.

Sources told the newspaper that negotiations with al-Qaida-affiliate al-Nusra Front witnessed a breakthrough after a three-month paralysis.

The sources pointed out that a deal is expected to be finalized in the upcoming days under the sponsorship of Qatar.

However, the sources said that negotiations with the Islamic State of Iraq (ISIL) and the Levant reached a standstill as the group is waiting for the Lebanese authorities to carry out part of the agreement in order to resume talks.

Media reports had said that Qatar's mediation to release the servicemen abducted by Islamist gunmen have intensified in recent days as General Security chief Abbas Ibrahim expressed his satisfaction with the course of the negotiations.

A number of soldiers and policemen were abducted by al-Nusra Front and Islamic State group gunmen in the wake of clashes in the northeastern border town of Arsal in August.

A few of them have since been released, four were executed, and the rest remain held.

The captors are demanding the release of Islamists held in Lebanon as a condition to set them free.

On Monday, the families of Arsal captives said that they received assurances on the cabinet's readiness to discuss all demands set by the Islamist gunmen to ensure the safe release of their loved ones.

The relatives met with al-Mustaqbal Movement chief Saad Hariri who expressed his full support to the crisis cell, stressing that negotiations should be solely limited to the state and its institutions.

H.K.

G.K.