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PM Salam: Independence Day is incomplete without our abducted sons and soldiers

16-11-2014 | 08:35

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PM Salam: Independence Day is incomplete without our abducted sons and soldiers

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Prime Minister Tammam Salam said on Sunday that Lebanon’s Independence Day will be beset by grief this year as 27 Lebanese troops remain in the captivity of Islamists in the border town of Arsal.

“This year, we celebrate independence with heartbreak, because we cannot celebrate it without our sons and heroic soldiers,” Salam noted.

“The celebration is also incomplete because of grief due to the confusion we are facing and the hindrances at all state's institutions, mainly with the presidential vacuum.”

Lebanon celebrates its independence from France on November 22.

Salam’s comments were made after receiving students from Islamic schools, who celebrated the upcoming holiday with a marathon from the UNESCO Palace to Salam’s residence.

Lebanon has been struggling to end the three-month hostage crisis since the Army engaged in a battle with jihadists from the Islamic State and the al-Nusra Front in early August in the town of Arsal.

The militants kidnapped more than 30 Lebanese troops during the battle, and have since released seven and executed three.

Meanwhile, Lebanese MPs have repeatedly failed to elect a new president since former president Michel Sleiman’s mandate ended on May 25.

Earlier this month, the Parliament approved a law to extend its term for additional two years and seven months, after it had renewed its mandate for 17 months in May 2013.

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