Al-Meqdad Clan Announces Halt of All Military Operations in Lebanon
Al-Meqdad clan announced on Thursday a halt to all of its military operations throughout Lebanon.
Head of al-Meqdad Association Maher al-Meqdad announced during a press conference: “As of this moment, we have halted all military operations because we have a sufficient number of Syrian captives affiliated with the Free Syrian Army, as well as the Turkish national.”
“I confirm that we abducted a spokesman for the FSA and we will provide details of the operation on Friday,” he added.
He stressed that no national from the Arab Gulf, including the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, will “ever be targeted and we consider them guests in our country.”
“They are welcome in Lebanon,” he stressed.
In addition, Meqdad said that the clan is not coordinating its activity with any side.
He noted that a “fifth column had become involved in the recent security incidents, taking advantage of the situation by attacking al-Yasariyah channel that is affiliated with the Communist party.”
The Syrian workers at the channel were assaulted during the attack, he explained.
The clan condemned the incident, saying that it is not affiliated with it.
Al-Meqdad also denied the clan’s involvement in an abduction in the Shtoura region in the Bekaa.
He explained that Syrians who are not affiliated with the FSA will not be targets of abductions.
Soon after, Hizbullah MP Ali Meqdad declared during the meeting that "kidnapping are forbidden and retaliatory abductions are also forbidden."
One of the members of al-Meqdad clan objected to the MPs’ presence at the meeting and a fistfight broke out between him and other members of the family.
The media was forbidden from continuing its coverage of the meeting.
The MP soon left al-Meqdad clan’s residence, said LBCI television.
Al-Meqdad clan kidnapped on Wednesday over 20 Syrian nationals, who allegedly belong to the Free Syrian Army, in tit-for-tat kidnappings after the FSA detained Hassan Salim al-Meqdad earlier this week.
The family’s military wing warned that they can reach Aley, Tripoli and Iqlim al-Kharroub, saying that they have a bank of targets in Lebanon and capable of reaching regional targets.
On Tuesday, Hizbullah denied a video aired by al-Arabiya news channel claiming that the FSA detained a member of Hizbullah identified as Hassan Salim al-Meqdad.
The family of 39-year-old Hassan also ruled out that he is a member of the party, revealing that he works at Jammal Trust Bank and headed to Syria a year and a half ago to resolve some financial problems.
Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar all advised their nationals to leave Lebanon immediately following Wednesday’s security incidents.
Al-Yasariya channel announced in a statement on Thursday that its studios were the victim of an assault by some 40 masked gunmen who kidnapped three employees from the channel and destroyed and stole equipment from the building.
| Copyright © 2012 Naharnet.com. All Rights Reserved. | https://naharnet.com/stories/en/50264 |