Lebanese Army frees three kidnapping victims along border with Syria

BEIRUT — The Lebanese Army on Saturday announced that it had freed three kidnapped people earlier this week along the border with Syria, including Yemeni and Syrian nationals that had been lured from a hotel by their kidnappers.

Here's what we know:

    • In a statement, the Army said that on Friday a patrol from its Intelligence Directorate had freed a Syrian and a Yemeni in an area near the Lebanese-Syrian border, adding that the two had been “lured from a Beirut hotel” by their kidnappers on Mar. 7.

    • The Army added that another Intelligence Directorate patrol had also freed a Lebanese national in northeastern Lebanon near the border Syria after he had been lured from his hometown of Kfar Roummane, outside Nabatieh in southern Lebanon, on Mar. 4.

    • An investigation is underway to apprehend the kidnappers, the statement said.

    • On Thursday, the Internal Security Forces warned of an increase in ransom-motivated kidnapping schemes targeting Lebanese citizens as well as foreigners.

    • The ISF described the methodology of the kidnappers, saying they would forcibly move their victims through the northeastern Lebanon town of Hermel across nearby illegal border crossings. “A ransom is then demanded from their relatives in exchange for the victim’s release,” the statement added.

    • In its statement, the ISF said kidnappers were masquerading on social media as “migration assistance agencies that promise to facilitate travel to a European country.”