Syria Releases Lebanese Salafist Seized in Tall Kalakh Ambush

Syria released on Thursday a Lebanese Salafist who had been seized in an ambush by Syrian regime troops in the town of Tall Kalakh near the border with Lebanon last year.

Hassan Srour was handed to Lebanon's General Security, which said in a communique that his release came as a result of contacts between the department's chief Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim and Syrian authorities

There has been a discrepancy on the number of fighters who infiltrated Tall Kalakh last November to fight alongside the rebels. But reports said they numbered 21.

According to the reports, several of them had sought refuge with the rebel Free Syrian Army while around three others had been arrested by regime troops.

The spokesman of the families of the fighters, Sheikh Mohammed Ibrahim, said in December that several of the fighters hadn't returned to Lebanon, including Srour, who was held captive by regime troops, while another identified as Mohammed al-Rifai was missing.

Syrian authorities handed over to Lebanon in several rounds in December several bodies of the Salafists killed in the ambush, including a Palestinian. Also among them was the body of Hussein Srour, Hassan's brother.

Ahead of his transfer to Lebanon, Srour told Syrian TV that Salafist cleric Sheikh Dai al-Islam al-Shahhal had asked the Salafists to head to Syria to fight regime troops.

But al-Shahhal denied the accusations, saying the Syrian regime had forced him to make such a claim.

The cleric created controversy earlier this month when he allegedly threatened to issue a fatwa that calls for Jihad.

But he later denied his threat, saying he didn't specify the nature of the fatwa.

Srour said the group had went to the neighboring country "to fight the Syrian army."

"We came from Wadi Khaled (in Lebanon) towards Syrian territory, carrying bombs and machine guns. We crossed the border at night. In Syria, a young Syrian man called Abu Omar was waiting for us," he said.

"At dawn, Abu Omar called people to bring us food and drink, then we headed off in the direction of Qalaat al-Hosn (in Homs province," added Srour, who sported a full beard and long hair.

"But clashes broke out. I fled but later in the morning I was arrested," he added.