Syrian Force Abducts Lebanese Man from Masharii al-Qaa

Syrian regime forces on Wednesday stormed a house in the Bekaa border area of Masharii al-Qaa and tried to kidnap Lebanese nationals Omar Youssef Krumbi and Ali Ahmed Zaarour, but one of them managed to escape, MTV reported.

The TV network said the security sources declined to give further information but noted that the relevant authorities are conducting contacts in a bid to identify the circumstances of the abduction.

In May 2012, Lebanese citizen Mohammed Hassan al-Turkmani was kidnapped from his house in al-Qaa.

Also in May, media reports said Syrian troops crossed over into Lebanon and kidnapped Mohammed Mahmoud Ibrahim near the town of al-Abboudiyeh in Akkar.

On May 11, members of the rebel Free Syrian Army abducted two Lebanese citizens and a Syrian national. The Lebanese Jaafar clan retaliated by abducting some 50 members of the opposition in the Syrian border towns of Zeita and al-Burhaniyeh.

The Syrian army has repeatedly infiltrated Lebanese territory in the North and Bekaa since the eruption of anti-regime protests in Syria in March 2011.

It has kidnapped Lebanese citizens for various undisclosed reasons and taken them to Syria before releasing them.

In September, Syrian troops infiltrated the border region of al-Qaa in the northern Bekaa and abducted two citizens, reported Lebanon's National News Agency.

The troops searched a number of houses in the area before returning to Syria.

Syria had repeatedly said that it is chasing defectors and gunmen during its incursions into Lebanon.

Rockets fired during clashes in Syria have also occasionally landed in Lebanese territory.