Lebanese PM seeks Qatar's help to release captured soldiers

Lebanon’s Prime Minister Tammam Salam said his visit to Doha is aimed at seeking Qatari help with the release of Lebanese soldiers abducted by IS and Al-Nusra Front militants.

Over the past five days, Lebanon’s borders have been embattled with clashes between the Lebanese army and militants coming from Syria, including IS and Al-Nusra Front militants, which led to the death of dozens of militants and 17 Lebanese army soldiers, as well as the abduction of 22 soldiers.

IS is holding nine Lebanese soldiers captive after executing two, while Al-Nusra Front is holding 13 soldiers after releasing five since the outbreak of clashes.

At a press conference in Doha late yesterday, Salam said his talks with the Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani addressed issues of mutual concern, including the abducted soldiers and the Syrian refugees.

He pointed out that Qatar is willing to help alleviate the crisis of Syrian refugees in Lebanon who now number more than 1.3 million.

Salam accused the “terrorists” of perpetrating “the ugliest inhumane and illicit means of killings and beheadings which have not been seen in Lebanon before, not even by the enemies.”

He described this issue as a “critical” one which requires “internal unity and patience”.

He said that the Director General of Lebanon’s security apparatus Abbas Ibrahim will remain in Qatar to follow up on this matter.

Earlier this month, the Islamic Scholars Association in Lebanon announced that it had suspended its mediation efforts with militants “to pave the way for other parties more capable of settling the dispute”, in reference to Qatar.