Al-Nusra Front Says 'Manipulators' Forced Suspension of Negotiations on Hostages
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Al-Qaida-linked al-Nusra Front denied on Wednesday that there was progress in the negotiations to release Lebanese hostages in a prisoner swap, saying the talks have been suspended.
The jihadists addressed the relatives of the hostages on their twitter account, saying: “Reports that the negotiations between us and General Security chief Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim have been (successfully) completed are not true.”
The talks to release the captive servicemen “have been suspended because of the manipulation of mediators from the Lebanese side,” they said.
“We hope that the negotiations file would move to safe hands. We had previously proposed the formation of a committee from the hostages families to oversee the negotiations process,” al-Nusra Front added.
The group has in its captivity 16 soldiers and policemen, while nine remain held by the Islamic State extremist group.
The servicemen were taken hostage in the wake of clashes in the northeastern border town of Arsal in August last year.
A few of them have since been released and four were executed.
Reports have said that the negotiations with IS jihadists have stalled over their crippling demands.
Al-Nusra Front's announcement on Wednesday came a day after Ibrahim expressed relief over the progress in the mediation with the jihadist group.
“The Qatari intelligence is mediating the timing of conducting the deal” with al-Nusra Front, Ibrahim said.
Diplomatic sources told As Safir newspaper that Qatari officials were in shuttle diplomacy with the representatives of the group, in particular in Turkey.
The negotiations included the details of the prisoners swap deal, the sources said, revealing that Qatari intelligence chief Ghanim al-Kubaisi could visit Lebanon soon.
Al-Akhbar newspaper also said Tuesday that negotiations are touching on the names of prisoners, who will be released according to the agreement.
Information obtained by the daily said that the Lebanese Army leadership received a list that included the names of 50 prisoners, including Joumana Hmeid.
G.K.
H.K.
03 June 2015, 08:13
49
Nusra dares to give conditions to the army, just go in and smash them already, don't listen to the takfiri loving March 14 alliance, don't hold back LAF.
03 June 2015, 08:24
105
OH enough is enough!
you and your hizbushaitan are the mirror of these takfiris, so stop accusing others of doing what you do!
for those who have not heard it: the shia extremists in iraq have burnt some prisoners, same as these takfiris do, thus clarifying they are one and the same.
03 June 2015, 09:24
95
No there is a huge difference between bearded guys chanting lobayka ya hussein and those cheering for omar...
Can't u see ya geha, hezbos are modern democratic secular folks, judt listen to suprem leadder ayatollah...,
All bunch of retards...
03 June 2015, 10:05
49
geha you being one of the corrupted Mostaqbalis yourself, holding your hands over ISIS and Nusra in Arsal with protection.
It's no secret you want the takfiris to succeed just to serve your needs in removing the Resistance, you people would gladly let Lebanon be part of Baghdadis "caliphate".
03 June 2015, 14:46
30
lol geha, you ARE a saudi takfiri goof, and in your craziest dreams you imagine that you are equivalent or comparable to hezbollah ("the mirror"? maybe of their sermeye, and not even)
03 June 2015, 14:48
20
as for nusra/daesh they do not want to exchange the prisoners, they want to keep the hostages ad vitam eternam to use as human shield and prevent the army and/or HA to dislodge them from arsal+outskirts
03 June 2015, 14:49
30
to this day, it's the only thing keeping those rats alive, and they know it. the very second the hostages are released, takfiris in arsal will be purged.
