Qatar Playing Key Role in Case of Hostage Servicemen, Urges Turkey to Mediate with ISIL

Qatar's exerted efforts to release the abducted Lebanese servicemen, who were taken hostage by al-Qaida-affilaite al-Nusra Front, led to a significant progress as Doha called on Turkey to mediate the release of those taken captive by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

As Safir newspaper reported on Tuesday that three Qatari officers are following up the case of the abducted servicemen with al-Nusra Front since August.

The three officers are moving between Lebanon and Turkey to press forward the release of the hostages.

“Negotiations entered a serious stage,” a source close to the Qatari officials told the daily, pointing out that discussions are underway concerning al-Nusra's demands.

Media reports said recently that al-Nusra Front handed over a list that include 40 inmates and remains open to negotiations.

The list also includes the names of three women - Iraqi national Saja al-Dulaimi, Lebanese Joumana Hmeid and Alaa al-Oqaili - who are all detained on terror charges.

However, the Lebanese authorities rejected to include in the swap agreement ten inmates from Arab nationalities due to the preexistence of accords between the country and Arab states that prevent the engagement in any similar deals.

The list also includes the names of several “dangerous prisoners.”

The source said that negotiations have reached the final stages, expressing belief that Qatari authorities demanded Turkey to mediate with ISIL the release of the troops and policemen in its captivity.

“The ties between Turkey and Qatar are very close,” the source noted.

However, Lebanese sources following up the case denied any role played by Turkey in the negotiations with ISIL, citing a positive progress in the mediation.

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 have been demanding the release of Islamists held in Lebanon as a condition to set them free.

On Monday, the families of the abducted men met with Defense Minister Samir Moqbel, who expressed optimism over the near release of the servicemen.

H.K.

G.K.