Naharnet

Nine Hostages Appear in Video Depicting Hizbullah's Alleged Crimes in Syria, Arsal

Al-Nusra Front posted a video on Friday purporting the alleged crimes of Hizbullah in the neighboring country Syria and the northeastern border town of Arsal and includes statements by the Lebanese army soldiers and policemen against the party.

A previously unknown channel on Youtube aired a video under the title: Who Will Pay the Price? The Price of Hizbu Allat Support to Al-Nusairi Regime and The Slaughtering of Sunnis in Syria.

The video starts with a speech for Hizbullah's chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah in which he says that the Lebanese shouldn't interfere in the war raging in the neighboring country, but then showed another speech where he says that he is ready to double his fighters in Syria.

A Hizbullah fighter was seen in the video vowing to “crush every Sunni on the face of earth” and to head to Saudi Arabia to “take back Mecca.”

Hizbullah has deployed thousands of fighters into neighboring Syria to back President Bashar Assad's army as he battles insurgents who have been trying to overthrow him for the past three years.

Islamist groups repeatedly demanded Hizbullah to withdraw from Syria “before it is too late.”

The video also shows the supporters of Hizbullah calling on Nasrallah to send more fighters and crush the rebellion in Syria. Other footage shows the party's members in the Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmuk and how one of them assaults a woman. A woman was also shown accusing three Hizbullah fighters of raping her in front of her children.

More scenes allegedly for Hizbullah's crimes in Syria are displayed in the 28-minute video.

The fighting in Arsal is also documented in the video, claiming that Hizbullah launched rockets at the Bekaa town with the Lebanese army's knowledge.

Nine abducted security personnel appear in the video with one policeman accusing Hizbullah of killing children and women in Syrian encampments and in Arsal.

Another accused the residents of the Shiite Bekaa town of al-Labweh of launching rockets at mosques in the neighboring village of Arsal.

The policemen lashed out at Hizbullah's interference in the war in Syria, calling on the Nusra Front to put an end to the party's actions.

They address the party and the Lebanese state, saying that they're not ready to pay the price of Hizbullah's intervention in Syria.

Since the abduction of Lebanese soldiers and policemen, Lebanon has been reportedly seeking the help of Qatar and Turkey to ensure their safe release.

The militants released several hostages in different stages but had beheaded Lebanese army sergeant Ali al-Sayyed.

The militants included fighters from the Islamic State group and the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front.

The jihadists have reportedly called on the Lebanese government to release Islamist inmates from the country's largest prison in Roumieh in exchange for the captive security personnel.

Only a few of the estimated 90 Islamists have been tried. Most of them were arrested over their involvement in bloody clashes with the Lebanese army at the northern refugee camp of Nahr al-Bared in 2007.

The fighting in Arsal was the most serious border incident since the conflict in Syria began in March 2011.

The video also shows the Lebanese army assaulting Islamist prisoners.

At the end of the video a message is displayed for the Sunnis in Lebanon, calling on them to support their “brothers in Syria,” and warning them of backing the Lebanese army against the jihadists.

“You will pay the price,” the message added.

Another warning message appears, urging the remaining sects in Lebanon not to aid “the Iranian party in Lebanon.”

The jihadists also vowed to continue their battle against the Shiites, saying: “Your support for Hizbullah will make you pay the price doubled.”

H.K.

M.T.


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