Militants holding Lebanese soldiers release video
An al-Qaeda-linked militant group holding Lebanese soldiers and police released a video of the captive men on Sunday, as officials continue mediation to release the men.
The ongoing captivity of some 20 Lebanese security men by militants in Syria has emerged as one of the most serious spillovers of violence from the neighboring conflict, now in its fourth year. Militants from Syria seized the men when they overran the border town of Arsal, killing and kidnapping soldiers and police.
At least eight of the men are being held by the Syrian al-Qaeda affiliate, the Nusra Front, which has a history of releasing detainees unharmed. Others are being held by the extremist Islamic State group, which has decapitated two Lebanese soldiers in their captivity. The men's beheadings outraged Lebanon and sparked days of violence against Syrian refugees in the country.
