Hizbullah Condemns Turkish Pilots' Abduction
Hizbullah "lamented" on Wednesday the kidnapping of the Turkish pilot and copilot, noting that efforts are exerted to release the abducted Turks and the Lebanese pilgrims.
"Hizbullah condemns the kidnapping of the two Turkish pilots and all abductions of civilians,” the party's MP Mohammed Raad said after meeting with Turkey's ambassador to Lebanon Inan Ozyildiz.
He added: "The party is keen on reaching a good ending that solves the problem of the pilots and of the Lebanese pilgrims and we are working with the state's institutions towards achieving for this purpose.”
Meanwhile, Ozyildiz confirmed that Turkish authorities are also working towards freeing the Lebanese pilgrims.
A Turkish pilot and co-pilot were kidnapped by gunmen in Beirut on Friday.
The relatives of Lebanese pilgrims held in Syria's Aazaz region were quick to deny having any links to the abduction, but one of the relatives, Mohammed Saleh, was arrested on Sunday over links to the incident.
The families of the pilgrims have repeatedly accused Turkey of being responsible for the release of their loved ones, warning that they will target Turkish interests in Lebanon in order to pressure Ankara to resolve the case.
In May 2012, eleven Lebanese pilgrims were kidnapped in Syria's Aleppo region as they were making their way back to Lebanon by land from pilgrimage from Iran.
Two of them have since been released, while the rest remain held in Aazaz.
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