Syrian Terrorist who Guarded Arsal Captives Referred to Judiciary

The army intelligence referred to the judiciary on Friday a Syrian who has guarded the servicemen taken hostage by the Islamic State terrorist group and participated in the battles against the military.

The army said in a communique that Hussein Ghurelli was arrested on Monday for participating in the attacks on army posts on the outskirts of the northeastern border town of Arsal in August last year.

It did not give details on his arrest. But the state-run National News Agency said on Thursday that Ghurelli was apprehended while undergoing treatment at a hospital in the eastern Bekaa Valley.

The suspect has also taken part in the assault on army positions in the area of Tallet al-Hamra of Ras Baalbek on February 23 during which he was injured, said the communique.

Ghurelli admitted to investigators that he had been tasked by terrorist organizations to monitor military convoys and that he had participated in all the battles against the army as part of an armed group that had pledged allegiance to the IS in July 2014, it said.

According to the communique, Ghurelli also admitted to guarding the soldiers and policemen who were taken captive by jihadists from the IS and al-Nusra Front in Arsal during the August battles.

The suspect said that he transported the captives held by the IS from one area to the other and that he witnessed the execution of one of the hostages, Ali al-Ali.

The IS and al-Nusra Front have executed four of them. They want to exchange the captives with Islamist prisoners in Lebanon and Syria.

The communique added that Ghurelli revealed the identity of the jihadists who executed soldiers Ali al-Sayyed and Abbas Medlej.

G.K.

H.K.