Nine Lebanese hostages freed after being held in Syria since May 2012
- 11 years ago
In this suburb of Beirut, families of nine Lebanese held hostage by Syrian rebels since May of 2012 await their return.
News of their release came Friday.
(SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) WIFE OF THE LEBANESE HOSTAGE ALI TERMOSS, MONA TERMOSS, SAYING:
"Our happiness is surely great, we can't express how happy we are, we are so happy and thank God."
The nine Shiites were seized last year while returning from a pilgrimage in Iran.
Their Sunni rebel kidnappers accused them of belonging to Lebanon's Hezbollah, which has fought against the rebels in Syria's civil war.
The Qatari government reportedly helped mediate the release.
(SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) Brother of the Lebanese hostage Abbas Chouaib, Daniel Chouaib, Saying:
"I haven't seen them being officially received. I will only be happy once Turkey says in an official statement that they have been received."
Their return will raise hopes for the release of THESE men.
Two Turkish pilots…held cap
News of their release came Friday.
(SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) WIFE OF THE LEBANESE HOSTAGE ALI TERMOSS, MONA TERMOSS, SAYING:
"Our happiness is surely great, we can't express how happy we are, we are so happy and thank God."
The nine Shiites were seized last year while returning from a pilgrimage in Iran.
Their Sunni rebel kidnappers accused them of belonging to Lebanon's Hezbollah, which has fought against the rebels in Syria's civil war.
The Qatari government reportedly helped mediate the release.
(SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) Brother of the Lebanese hostage Abbas Chouaib, Daniel Chouaib, Saying:
"I haven't seen them being officially received. I will only be happy once Turkey says in an official statement that they have been received."
Their return will raise hopes for the release of THESE men.
Two Turkish pilots…held cap