Al-Nusra Front release abducted Lebanese servicemen
Xinhua, December 1, 2015 Adjust font size:
Sixteen Lebanese soldiers and policemen kidnapped by Al-Qaida-linked al-Nusra Front militants were freed Tuesday in a swap deal involving the release of Islamist prisoners from the Lebanese and Syrian jails, including the ex-wife of the Islamic State (IS) leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
At least 38 servicemen were kidnapped in August 2014 when the al-Nusra Front and IS militants overran briefly Arsal and engaged in five-day battle with the Lebanese army.
Eight servicemen have been released after the al-Nusra executed four and the IS beheading another one, leaving 25 in captivity, 16 with al-Nusra and nine with the IS group.
Earlier on Tuesday, Lebanon's General Security announced that it had received the body of Mohammad Hamieh, who was shot dead by Nusra militants in September 2014, about a month after his capture.
General Security Chief Abbas Ibrahim, who represented the Lebanese government during negotiations, later confirmed that all 16 captives had been released.
"We will spare no efforts in releasing the captives held by the IS," Ibrahim added.
The nine IS-held captives were not part of the swap deal. Endit