Press Digest for Saturday February 28, 2015

3^min

The following are summaries of today's major stories published in the Arabic press. LBCI does not edit press digest articles for content, giving English-language readers insight into the various views expressed in newspapers across the Arab world.

Kidnapped bishops in Syria ‘in good health condition’ -source

A source close to the Islamic State militant group said on Saturday that the two bishops who were kidnapped in Syria - Boulos Yazigi and John Ibrahim – are “in a good health condition” thus far.

“The group deals with the two bishops in a way that differs from other kidnapping cases,” the source told Al-Akhbar newspaper, saying “their whereabouts have repeatedly changed in order to keep them away from battles and shelling or simply for confidentiality reasons”.

The same source did not elaborate on the new location of the bishops, but confirmed “they remain on IS-held territories, far from areas of recent fighting”.

Armed groups potting retaliatory act in east Lebanon -sources

“The preemptive measures that were recently implemented by the Lebanese Armed Forces in Ras Baalbek and Arsal’s barren range have dealt a severe blow to gunmen who were plotting attacks in the region,” well-informed sources said.

The sources also told As-Safir newspaper on Saturday that the army has taken control now - through its field presence and surveillance operations - over all routes, hills and crossings, thus hindering attempts to infiltrate into the Lebanese territories.

“The eavesdropping by the army and other security apparatuses in the region has revealed that armed groups are plotting a quick retaliatory act and may try to regain control over the two strategic hills they recently lost to the army,” the same sources concluded.

Sheikh Haidar says IS group suspended negotiations over Lebanese hostages

Sheikh Omar Haidar, a member of the committee tasked with addressing the Arsal captives dossier, stressed on Saturday that the families of the kidnapped Lebanese troops are holding contacts with General Security Chief Major General Abbas Ibrahim and Higher Defense Council Chief Major General Mohammed Kheir.

In an interview with As-Safir newspaper, Haidar said the captives’ families were formally informed that the Islamic State group suspended its negotiations over the Lebanese hostages three weeks ago.

He added however that “things will not return to square one as it used to happen”.