Al-Sayyed's Body Handed Over to MSC, Any Swap 'Won't Involve' Convicts
The Muslim Scholars Committee was on Monday handed over the corpse of Sergeant Ali al-Sayyed who had been reportedly taken hostage by Islamic State militants, as the government seemed inclined to swap non-convicted Roumieh inmates for the security personnel who are still in the captivity of jihadist groups.
Al-Sayyed's body was handed over in the outskirts of the Bekaa border town of Arsal and the Red Cross transfered it to the military hospital in Beirut.
The army issued a statement saying "the Intelligence Directorate has received the body of one of the missing soldiers and it will be transferred to the central military hospital for DNA testing."
Members of al-Sayyed's family confirmed to Agence France-Presse that relatives had been summoned to the military hospital in Beirut to provide DNA.
Meanwhile, sources informed on negotiations told LBCI TV that “there is agreement, in principle, to the proposal of swapping” prisoners for the captive troops.
But the sources noted that “should an exchange occur, it won't be for Roumieh prison convicts.”
“It is out of the question to release Islamist convicts or inmates detained over the issues of Nahr al-Bared, Fatah al-Islam and the bombings, even if they have not been convicted,” the sources added.
“It is possible to discuss and negotiate the release of those who were arrested during Arsal's battle or the detainees who have not been convicted until the moment,” the sources said, noting that “the judiciary absolutely does not accept to set free dangerous convicts.”
Later on Monday, Turkey's Anatolia news agency quoted informed sources as saying that “the Lebanese government is inclined to release Islamist detainees in a legal manner in return for the security personnel held by al-Nusra and the IS.”
But the sources noted that “the number of released inmates won't be as high as being circulated and the process won't happen with the expected speed.”
According to LBCI, the militants of the Qaida-linked al-Nusra Front have put at the top of their demands the release of jihadist leader Imad Jomaa, who had pledged allegiance to the IS prior to his arrest but who still enjoys popularity among the ranks of the Front, to which he belonged in the past.
Al-Nusra is also demanding the release of Jumana Hmayyed, who is accused of transporting bomb-laden cars from Arsal's mountains to the Bekaa, in addition to "around 15 Syrian militants."
On August 2, gunmen belonging to the two aforementioned groups overran Arsal as clashes erupted with the Lebanese army, killing 19 troops and kidnapping around 35 soldiers and policemen.
Al-Nusra later released 10 hostages before freeing five "Sunni" troops and policemen on Saturday. However, 18 captives are reportedly still in the group's custody.
The IS for its part has 10 hostages in its captivity in addition to an unidentified corpse other than al-Sayyed's.
The sergeant had appeared in a video posted on YouTube on August 4, in which he appeared to be forced to declare his defection from the Lebanese army.
And on Thursday, the IS published grisly photos apparently showing a militant cutting off al-Sayyed's head, whose authenticity was initially questioned by military sources.
Y.R.
M.T.
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