Gunmen Abduct Hujeiri Family Member in Arsal, Flee to Outskirts
Armed men kidnapped on Saturday Lebanese national Ahmed al-Hujeiri and dragged him to the outskirts of the northeastern border town of Arsal.
Hujeiri, who is also known as Ahmed Hadiya, hails from the Bekaa town.
The state-run National News Agency reported the the fate of Hujeiri remains unknown.
A security source told Agence France Presse later on that gunmen accused Hujeiri of “violating their policies.”
The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told AFP that Hujeiri is also “accused of being an agent for Hizbullah.
A local official told the news agency that armed men in two vehicles abducted him “while he was walking on the outskirts of the town.”
Meanwhile, media reports said that the army intelligence freed at dawn Marwan al-Hujeiri after a four-day kidnap ordeal by gunmen from al-Masri family to press the release of soldier Ali Zeid al-Masri, who is held captive along with other soldiers and policemen by Islamist militants.
LBCI reported that he was handed over to his family.
On Thursday, Hassan Fleiti and Abdullah al-Breidi were also freed by al-Masri family as a “good will gesture.”
Al-Masri family hails from the Shiite Bekaa town of Brital, while the two men are from the Sunni dominated town of Arsal.
The sectarian abduction came in light of the beheading of a Shiite soldier by Islamist gunmen who overran Arsal earlier in August.
Fighters from ISIL or what is now known as the Islamic State along with militants from al-Qaida-linked al-Nusra Front engaged in deadly fighting with the Lebanese army and took with them hostages from the military and the Internal Security Forces as they withdrew to Syria.
The jihadists beheaded two of their captives and have threatened to kill more.
H.K.
D.A.
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