The LAF Intelligence Directorate – Bekaa branch handed the released hostage Fouad Daoud over to his relatives who were waiting for him at the Ablah barracks on Wednesday evening. Daoud, a Lebanese businessman hailing from Zahle, was kidnapped last week for ransom.      

In a brief statement, Daoud thanked the Lebanese Army for the efforts exerted for his release.     

The LAF Command had said in a statement: "following intensive monitoring, the LAF Intelligence Directorate managed to identify the location of Daoud in the area of Tall al-Abyad in Baalbek. With the support of an LAF unit, a patrol from this directorate raided the location on Wednesday afternoon, and following clashes with the abductors, managed to release Fouad Daoud and arrest one of the kidnappers, reported to belong to the Allaou family. The LAF is still searching for the rest of the abductors to bring them to justice."      

Later on Wednesday, Interior Minister Marwan Charbel said that the release of Daoud is the first practical step of the well-studied security plan drawn by officials, adding: “We still have Ali Hamad Mansour whose abductors asked for a $15 million ransom.         

Charbel stressed that some reports suggest that there is one kidnapping mastermind and that the abductee is being sold to another party.