Official Lebanese
sources told LBCI that the Lebanese Kidnapped are still in the hands of their
abductors, noting that Turkey has informed Lebanon that the kidnapped will be
handed to Turkey, but a problem erupted at the last minute while negotiations
are ongoing to solve it.
Conflicting information circulated
regarding the arrival of the 11 released Lebanese hostages to Rafic Hariri
International Airport where their relatives and several leaders are waiting for
them.
At a time when the Rafic Hariri
International Airport’s Control Tower announced that Saad Hariri’s plane
carrying the 11 released Lebanese hostages was delayed, Reuters quoted
a senior Syrian National Council official as saying that Lebanese Shi'ite men
abducted by Syrian rebels this week were still in the hands of rebels but would
be handed over to Turkey soon.
"We are still working on the
handover. They are still with the armed group," Ahmad Ramadan told
Reuters, speaking from Istanbul.
Amal Movement and Hezbollah urged citizens to return to their homes and wait until the morning. They assured that Lebanese hostages
are safe, adding that there is nothing to worry about despite some delay.
Accordingly, Beirut suburbs (Dahiyeh) residents and crowds on the airport road began
retreating.
Interior
Minister Marwan Charbel had assured that the Lebanese abductees are now in Turkey,
adding that the delay is due to logistic reasons. “They will arrive to Beirut
Airport within a few hours”.
Well-informed Hezbollah sources told
LBCI that the Lebanese hostages are now in Turkey where they are undergoing
investigations; “they will not be back before two or three hours”.
For his
part, the Socialist Party’s Secretary told LBCI that he has no accurate information on the reason behind the
plane’s delay, except for routine procedures. He called on the Lebanese Foreign
Ministry to follow up on this issue and send a delegation to Turkey.
MP
Abbas Hachem also told LBCI that the Lebanese hostages are now in Turkey, under the custody
of the Turkish government.
Amid this hubbub, representatives of President Suleiman
and PM Mikati, Minister Charbel and several MPs left the Airport’s VIP Lounge.
Former PM Saad Hariri’s private jet carrying all the released
Lebanese men had arrived in Hatay Airport in Iskenderun earlier on Friday and was due to land in Rafic Hariri
International Airport at around 10 pm.