Families of Arsal Captives Postpone 'Black' Friday Threat

The families of the abducted soldiers and policemen back down on a previous warning of staging a “black day” in Beirut if no positive breakthrough happened in the case of their sons.

“We will postpone our escalatory moves,” one relative told reporters who are gathered at Riad al-Solh Square after a brief meeting with Higher Defense Council chief General Mohammed Kheir.

He considered that the cabinet is seriously dealing with the case.

A delegation of the families headed to the Grand Serail upon a request by Justice Minister Ashraf Rifi.

Asked about an arrest warrant issued against Sheikh Mustafa al-Hujeiri, who is also known as Abu Taqiyeh, for belonging to al-Qaida-linked al-Nusra Front, the relatives expressed their surprise.

They had warned earlier on Thursday of a “black Friday in Beirut” if the cabinet failed to achieve a positive breakthrough in the case.

They demanded politicians to stop manipulating the army and creating division.

The troops and police were kidnapped by militants from al-Qaida-linked al-Nusra Front and the Islamic State group when they overran the northeastern border town of Arsal in August and engaged in bloody clashes with the army.

Their capture and the failure of the Lebanese authorities to secure their release sparked protests across Lebanon.

The families are fearing that the extremists would kill their loved ones after they executed three of the hostages in August and September.

The families moved their protest from Dahr al-Baidar to Beirut's Riad al-Solh Square, erecting three tents to pressure the state to exert more efforts to release their relatives from captivity.

The kidnappers have several demands to release the captives. One of them is the freedom of Islamist inmates in Roumieh prison.

H.K.

M.T.