Report: Assassination of Hasan Postponed Release of Remaining Abductees in Syria
The assassination of Internal Security Forces Intelligence Bureau head Brigadier General Wissam al-Hasan postponed the release of the remaining Lebanese pilgrims who were kidnapped in Syria in May.
According to al-Joumhouria newspaper on Tuesday, the bombing in Beirut's Ashrafiyeh district on Friday suspended the initiative “circumstantially.”
Head of the Iqraa organization for social development Sheikh Bilal Diqmaq announced recently that the release of the remaining pilgrims in Syria was suspended after “several complications occurred.”
“The assassination of Hasan affected the revolution in Syria, which froze the initiative indefinitely,” Diqmaq pointed out.
Reports previously emerged to the surface that the captives “will be released before the Adha holiday.”
Eleven Lebanese pilgrims were kidnapped by the rebel Free Syrian Army in the northern province of Aleppo on May 22 as they were returning home from Iran.
One abductee was released in August in what his captors said was a “goodwill” gesture and another was released in September.
The kidnappers had repeatedly linked the release of the Lebanese captives to Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, a close ally of the Syrian regime, apologizing over his stances on the Syrian revolt.
Al-Joumhouria reported that the abductees are doing well and there's no fear over their lives.
One of the mediators, identified as Abu Mohammed, told the daily that “he never met with Hasan but he has been supporting the revolt in Syria. We feel that we lost a lot.”
The report pointed out that the remaining kidnapped men were distributed in different areas in Reef Aleppo “to ensure their safety.”
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