BEIRUT — Residents of Wadi Khaled in the Akkar region of northern Lebanon held a protest near the border crossing with Syria, demanding the return of Osama Obaid, a resident of the area, who was abducted in Syria at the end of August, according to L'Orient Today's correspondent in the north.

The family of Obaid urged the Lebanese government to take immediate action to secure his release after photos surfaced showing him tied up and bearing signs of torture.

In a statement, Obaid's family said: "Our son, engineer Osama, left Wadi Khaled for Syria on the afternoon of Aug. 24. After losing contact with him for two days, we received a message stating that Osama had been kidnapped and a ransom of $400,000 was demanded."

The family explained that they sought help from the Syrian authorities. “After obtaining information about the kidnappers, we filed a complaint with the Syrian authorities, asking for their help, along with a large number of religious figures, notable individuals and dignitaries. We later received images showing the horrific torture our son is being subjected to,” they added.

They expressed deep concern over Osama’s safety and the lack of immediate action to secure his release. "This morning, we officially filed a complaint with the relevant authorities in Lebanon, and we are appealing to His Eminence Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri, [caretaker] Prime Minister Najib Mikati, the General Commander of the Lebanese Army and the heads of all security agencies in Lebanon to help us free our son, who committed no crime other than going to Syria to buy a few supplies," the family concluded.