Video shows 48 Iranian pilgrims detained by FSA

A bus-load of 48 Iranian pilgrims were abducted by gunmen in Syria on Saturday, Iranian and Syrian media reported, the latest in a string of kidnappings of visitors from the Islamic Republic.               

Reactions toward the kidnapping of the Iranian pilgrims followed, as an official in the Syrian opposition accused the extremist religious “Jundullah” group of kidnapping the Iranians, stressing that they are “religious pilgrims” and are not related to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards.     

When the Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi called Turkey and Qatar, asking them to intervene for the release of the Iranian detainees in Syria, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said that Turkey will look into the issue and deploy necessary efforts just like previous cases.              

It is worth mentioning that this is not the first time Iranians get kidnapped in Syria, Iranians were kidnapped once before in Syria, but then released and handed over to the Turkish authorities before taking them back to their country.