Solution to the Lebanese abductees in Syria looming on the horizon

President Michel Sleiman will be heading to Turkey on Tuesday in a visit that will last for less than 24 hours to hold talks with his Turkish counterpart and the Turkish PM on the 11 Lebanese pilgrims abducted in Syria.       

In this regard, a source close to Sleiman told LBCI that this visit to Ankara aims at discussing this issue among other topics of mutual concern.     

Well-informed sources assured that serious efforts are being deployed to guarantee the short release of the abductees without specifying whether it will happen before the holy month of Ramadan or not.        

Meanwhile, religious scholars in north Lebanon are holding intensive contacts with Turkish authorities to resolve the abductees’ case.     

At a time when the abductees’ families are desperately awaiting fresh news, they woke up Monday morning to a statement, the second of its kind, attributed to a group calling itself “the forces of Imam Ali el-Rida”, stating that it considers each person involved or complicit in the kidnapping as its target. The group called on Syrian citizens to leave Lebanon immediately to spare blood, holding the Lebanese and Syrian states responsible for any possible incidents.      

On the other hand, the abductees’ families denied involvement with the aforementioned group, and while the Bader Al Kobra campaign’s supporters said that they will escalate their movement, the families of the “Imam al-Sadr” campaign said that they give authorities one day prior to taking action, adding that they will hold a meeting to coordinate future steps.