Conflicting Reports on Escape of Several Lebanese Pilgrims from Syrian Captors

Conflicting reports emerged on Saturday on whether the 11 Lebanese pilgrims who were abducted in May escaped their captors after the area that they were held in came under severe shelling.

LBC TV station didn’t specify the number of the abductees who have escaped, it said there was initial information that the captors moved the remaining pilgrims to another location.

Al-Mayadeen network said the abductor of the men, Abu Ibrahim, was wounded as a result of the shelling.

The TV stations did not reveal the area where the men were being held.

However, Abu Ibrahim later confirmed to LBC that the men are still in his custody.

The channel said that he is expected to contact the families of the 11 men after Iftar.

Head of the Party of Free Syrians Sheikh Ibrahim Zoabi told LBC that the detention site was shelled, causing 2 of the abductees to flee.

He pointed out that the other abductees were transferred to another site.

“In the next few hours, we will probably confirm the injuries and the names of the abductees who fled”, Zoabi told LBC.

Ambassador of the International Organization for Human Rights to Lebanon Ali Aqil Khalil told NBN that Abu Ibrahim’s group divided due to differences.

He said that Abu Jemaa group defected and was responsible for the attack.

When contacted by the National News Agency, the head of the committee following up the case, Sheikh Abbas Zogheib, said he can’t confirm yet the information.

But he told NNA that contacts are underway with several officials, including General Security chief Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim to follow up the case.

The 11 pilgrims were kidnapped by a group of armed men in the northern Syrian province of Aleppo on May 22 while returning home from Iran.

On Monday, Abbas Shoaib, managed to escape from his abductors for a few hours before being recaptured, media reports said.

Another abductee, Ali Abbas, who was allowed by his captors to talk to LBC in a telephone call on Sunday, confirmed that the 11 men are in the remote Aleppo area of Aazaz.