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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran | |
| Al-Nusra Demands 'Two Syrian Towns' in Return for Freeing Arsal Captives | |
| 2015-11-17 | |
...formally Jabhat an-Nusrah li-Ahli sh-Sham (Support Front for the People of the Levant), also known as al-Qaeda in the Levant. They aim to establish a pan-Arab caliphate. Not the same one as the Islamic State, though .. ... Front has demanded control over two regime-held Syrian towns near Leb and the release of five women from Lebanese jails in return for freeing the captive Lebanese servicemen, a front man for the hostages' families said on Monday. "Al-Nusra's emir in Syria's Qalamoun, Abou Malek al-Talli, has sent a new demand with the families who visit their sons every now and then in the vicinity of (the Lebanese border town of) Arsal," Hussein Youssef, the father of captive soldier Mohammed Youssef, told ...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire.... 's state news agency Anatolia. Al-Talli wants "control over the towns of al-Maara and Flita and the release of five women from Lebanese jails in return for freeing the captives who are in his custody," Youssef said. He revealed that the families had passed on the new demands to Prime Minister Tammam Salam during their meeting with him on Monday. "We have full confidence in the premier and in General Security chief Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim and High Relief Council chief Maj. Gen. Mohammed Kheir, who are following up on the case with notable seriousness," the front man added. Asked about the families' channels of communication with al-Nusra Front, Youssef said the messages are being exchanged through "mediators." He however noted that contacts have been severed with the holy warrior Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allaharound with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not reallyMoslems.... group for months now. "We don't know anything about our sons who are in the custody of this group," he added. The towns of al-Maara and Flita are currently under the control of the Syrian regime and Hizbullah ... Party of God, a Leb militia inspired, founded, funded and directed by Iran. Hizbullah refers to itself as The Resistanceand purports to defend Leb against Israel, with whom it has started and lost one disastrous war to date, though it did claim victory... , according to Anatolia. Syria's civil war has regularly spilled over into Leb, with Nusra and IS jihadists briefly overrunning the town of Arsal in August 2014 after gunbattles with the Lebanese army. The jihadists withdrew after a ceasefire, but took with them several dozen hostages from the army and police, four of whom have since been executed. | |
| Posted by:trailing wife |