Lebanon hopes for return of kidnapped soldiers

Jean Aziz (Lebanon Pulse)

May 27, 2015

Relatives of Lebanese soldiers, who were captured by Islamist militants in Arsal, carry pictures of two of them during a protest demanding their release and pressuring the government to act, as they blocked a main road linking Tripoli to Halba, in al-Mhmara town, northern Lebanon August 30, 2014. Islamic State militants beheaded a Lebanese soldier who was one of 19 captured by hardline Syrian Islamists when they seized a Lebanese border town for few days this month, a video posted on social media showed on — Relatives of Lebanese soldiers captured by Islamist militants in Arsal carry pictures of two of them during a protest demanding their release, in al-Mhmara, northern Lebanon, Aug. 30, 2014. — REUTERS

عربي

BEIRUT — During the past week, the Lebanese media has been reporting that an imminent deal between the Lebanese authorities and armed groups will release Lebanese soldiers held hostage in the barren lands of Arsal since Aug. 2. Wadi Press even went so far as to confirm that the deal had materialized at the end of last week.

The press leaks prompted the Lebanese General Security Directorate, the body in charge of the negotiation process between the Lebanese authorities and the armed terrorist groups, to issue a response statement May 23.