Suleiman Heads Security Meeting, Warns against 'Jeopardizing Security of Lebanese, Foreigners'
President Michel Suleiman on Wednesday presided over a meeting with all the chiefs of the Lebanese security agencies, after al-Meqdad clan abducted more than 20 Syrians and a Turkish national in retaliation for the kidnap of one of its members by Syrian rebels in Damascus.
Suleiman also held phone talks with Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Najib Miqati “over the developments that took place today,” state-run National News Agency reported.
Later on Wednesday, Suleiman warned against "jeopardizing the security of the Lebanese citizens and foreigners in Lebanon … under any excuse," noting that “spreading chaos cannot secure the release of any abductee.”
And as he expressed his solidarity with the families of the abductees, the president called on military and security forces to "prevent the blocking of roads and protect the embassies of the friendly and brotherly countries, especially Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey and Syria."
Suleiman also noted that exercising restraint would protect the interests of Lebanese expatriates in the countries that host them.
The president called on Lebanese political leaders to “contain the tensions and help the state by abiding by the Baabda Declaration, which stressed that Lebanon must be spared the repercussions of the crises in neighboring countries and that any spillover must be prevented.”
Suleiman also said that he is closely following the situations and holding meetings and contacts with Lebanese and foreign officials over the fate of the Lebanese abductees.
NNA said dozens of Syrians were kidnapped and Syrian-owned shops vandalized in Beirut’s southern suburbs after unconfirmed reports that several Lebanese taken hostage in Syria had been killed.
Gunmen also took to the streets in the southern suburb of Tiro, NNA said.
"Some of the attackers vandalized shops, destroyed cars for sale, and kidnapped dozens of Syrians," it said. "The situation has got out of control."
The violence erupted after unconfirmed reports were broadcast claiming several Lebanese kidnapped in Syria in May were killed in an airstrike in the northern town of Aazaz on Wednesday.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, seven of the 11 Lebanese Shiite pilgrims kidnapped in Syria were injured, but none was killed.
"The relatives and neighbors of several Lebanese kidnapped in Syria took to the streets, and started to harass Syrians and vandalize their property in the area," NNA said.
Syria's main opposition coalition condemned the kidnappings.
"The Syrian National Council expresses its deep dismay at the kidnapping of a large number of Syrian citizens, who had fled to Lebanon to take refuge from bloody oppression in their country," it said in a statement.
Earlier Wednesday, al-Meqdad clan said it kidnapped at least 20 Syrians to try to secure the release of a family member abducted near Damascus this week. The Syrian rebel group that abducted Hassan al-Meqdad has claimed that he is a Hizbullah sniper.
Both Hizbullah and al-Meqdad’s family have denied the claims.
"We do not take part in any harassment of innocent Syrians, but any supporter of the Free Syrian Army is a legitimate target for us," Hatem al-Meqdad, Hassan’s brother, told LBCI.
Syrian rebel groups have accused Hizbullah -- which is closely allied with the regime of President Bashar Assad -- of playing a role in the violence, though the group has consistently denied this.
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