BEIRUT
The Lebanese army on Sunday freed a member of Lebanon's Muslim Scholars Authority, which mediates the release of several troops captured by militant groups fighting in Syria in the eastern border town of Arsal, a source from the authority said.
The source told The Anadolu Agency that the army released the authority's scholar, Hossam al-Ghali, hours after it had detained him in the vicinity of the eastern border town.
A security source told AA earlier that al-Ghali had been detained on his way to meet members of the Al-Nusra Front, one of two militant movements that had captured the Lebanese troops in early September.
"He was arrested along with four others, some of them had guns and an explosive belt," the source said.
A source of the scholars' body, meanwhile, said the people arrested with al-Ghali were Syrians escorting him to meet Al-Nusra Front members.
Al-Ghali was reportedly seeking assurance from the militant group that none of the captured Lebanese army personnel would be killed.
Several Lebanese army personnel were captured in early September during clashes with militant groups in Arsal – on the border with neighboring Syria.
The clashes erupted after Lebanese authorities had arrested some Sunni figures said to be close to or associated with militant groups fighting against the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and allied troops from the Shiite Lebanese Hezbollah group.
The militants had killed several Lebanese soldiers in the past weeks, citing the failure of Beirut to meet their demands, which include the release of Islamist figures in Lebanese jails and the withdrawal of Hezbollah fighters from Syria.
The Lebanese army confirmed, meanwhile, arresting five people inside a car near Arsal.
It said troops had recovered an explosive belt, two hand grenades, three rifles, four pistols and ammunitions from the vehicle.
www.aa.com.tr/en
