The captive Lebanese servicemen case keeps getting more and more complicated. Whilst sources close to General Security Chief Abbas Ibrahim assured that negotiations are at a standstill, sources involved in the March 8 coalition voiced concern over the new regional complications possibly turning this incident into another Aazaz.
The only development in the case came in the form of a new threat by the Nusra Front who threatened to kill one of the soldiers so as to launch a moral crunching campaign against the Lebanese, as well as threaten to kill Mohammad Hamiyyeh in order to benefit from sectarian sensitivity.
On their official website, the terrorist organization threatened that Hamiyyeh might be the first to “pay the price”, which was the slogan behind their last online propaganda.
Groups affiliated with the Nusra Front published a statement on Twitter, confirming that they didn’t hinder negotiations by putting forth outrageous demands.
This is not the first time the Nusra Front threatens to slaughter the soldiers. However, it has leaked to the negotiators that it intends to kill one soldier after the other until the Lebanese government approves its demands, but has yet to act on that threat.
Sources close to the Nusra Front told al-Akhbar newspaper that any information leaked to the media is part of the negotiations, voicing doubt over the group actually slaughtering a soldier, at least for now as the remaining soldiers held by ISIS remain in grave danger.
As for negotiations, it was revealed that Ibrahim’s efforts in Qatar are still at get go regarding the names of the soldiers that need to be traded.
Informed sources ruled out an imminent end to this case, noting that the Lebanese government refuses to trade the captive troops for convicted felons.
On the other hand, other sources expect the negotiations to be halted, especially with ISIS, at least until a clearer image is generated ahead of an international alliance against IS in Syria and Iraq.
TWEET YOUR COMMENT