Army says LF official killed during attempt to steal his car, body taken to Syria

The Lebanese Forces’ coordinator in Jbeil, Pascal Sleiman, was killed during the attempt to steal his car Sunday in the Jbeil district, the Lebanese Army announced on Monday, after the man’s reported abduction raised tensions in the country and prompted protesters to block the vital Jbeil highway.

“The army’s Intelligence Directorate has managed to arrest most of the Syrian members of the gang that carried out the abduction operation,” the army said in a statement.

“During their interrogation, it turned out that the abductee was killed by them during their attempt to steal his car in the Jbeil region and that they transferred his body to Syria,” the army added.

“The Army Command is coordinating with Syrian authorities over the body’s handover and the investigations are continuing under the supervision of the public prosecution,” the army said.

In earlier statements, the army had announced the arrest of five Syrian suspects.

All busiesses were closed in the city of Jbeil on Monday in protest at Sleiman's abduction.

Sleiman’s phone was reportedly found in the town of Thoum in Batroun after he was kidnapped and his car stolen while his kidnappers' car was found Monday in Tripoli by army intelligence agents.

Political and religious leaders in lebanon condemned the incident, while Grand Jaafarite Mufti Sheikh Ahmed Qabalan warned against "political exploitation" and "sectarian mobilization."

Pro-Hezbollah al-Akhbar newspaper had reported Monday, based on information it received from sources in the Lebanese Forces, that the party "is keen on civil peace" and is against throwing accusations against any party before the army's investigation ends.

The daily said a car with a foreign license plate and with four armed men inside it had intercepted Suleiman’s car as he returned from a funeral in the town of al-Kharbeh, between the town of Lehfed and the Mayfouq-Haqel road.

"An audio recording was circulated of Suleiman talking to someone when the gunmen intercepted his car," al-Akhbar said. Suleiman is heard asking them not to kill him before the call was cut off, the reports said.