3 Syrians Abducted in Arsal in Retaliation to Kidnapping of Hussein Seifeddine

Gunmen from the Ezzeddine family appeared on the streets of the northeastern border town of Arsal in the wake of a series of kidnappings in the area over the past few days, reported the National News Agency on Wednesday.

It said that gunmen abducted three Syrian youths from the Syrian town of Qara in response to the kidnapping of Hussein Seifeddine on Tuesday.

Seifeddine was kidnapped from a shop owned by members of the Ezzeddine family, explained the agency.

Mediators have since intervened to release the Syrians in exchange for Seifeddine, who is reportedly being held for a ransom of $30,000.

Earlier, two residents of Arsal were released few hours after they were kidnapped in retaliation to the abduction of a resident from the town's square.

The state-run National News Agency reported on Wednesday that Amer and Ahmed Kranbi were released overnight as a goodwill gesture and under the request of the army's intelligence in the Bekaa.

They were handed over to their parents in Arsal, the news agency said.

Later on Wednesday, a number of Arsal residents seized a number of Syrians in the town in the wake of the kidnapping of Seifeddine.

On Tuesday, gunmen from Seifeddine family snatched the two men from the square of the northern Bekaa town of al-Labweh.

Seifeddine was abducted on Monday from Arsal' square and taken to the town's outskirts.

Arsal and al-Labweh had witnessed several abductions and counter-abductions linked to the Syrian conflict in recent years, with the crisis in the neighboring country inflaming sectarian tensions across the border.

Arsal largely supports the uprising against Syrian President Bashar Assad while neighboring al-Labweh is predominantly pro-Hizbullah.

Hizbullah has sent elite fighters across the border to assist Assad's embattled regime against rebels and jihadists seeking to topple it.

The border town of Arsal hosts thousands of refugees who fled the conflict in Syria.

H.K./M.T.