KUWAIT CITY, Nov 5, (Agencies): Lebanese Army Intelligence successfully rescued a kidnapped Kuwaiti citizen in the Bekaa Valley early Wednesday, and apprehended the six member gang involved in the abduction, reports Al-Seyassah daily. According to media reports, Lebanese Army Intelligence, in accordance with high-level military directives, rescued the citizen who had been kidnapped near the town of Karak in the Bekaa Governorate, eastern Lebanon. It had deployed several mobile checkpoints near the town of Saadnayel in the Zahle district close to the Bekaa Valley.
An ambush was set for the kidnappers, allowing the military to safely rescue the Kuwaiti citizen without any injuries. He was then transferred to Beirut after the Embassy of Kuwait in Beirut was contacted. Security sources explained that the rapid execution of the operation was a major factor in both apprehending the gang members and successfully freeing the Kuwaiti citizen. Firm directives have been issued to confront all kidnapping and extortion operations, along with strenuous efforts to combat smuggling and drug trafficking in the Bekaa Valley and across Lebanon. The six-member armed gang, composed of Lebanese and Syrian nationals, lured the Kuwaiti citizen to the Bekaa Valley before kidnapping him and demanding a ransom.
The rescue operation was carried out as part of the security campaigns conducted by the Lebanese Army throughout the country. A heavy exchange of fire took place between security forces and the kidnappers, resulting in the injury of one of the wanted individuals. The operation included an armed chase through the town’s streets, which ended with the army regaining control and safely releasing the hostage. The detainees were transferred to the Directorate of Military Intelligence at the Lebanese Ministry of Defense for investigation under judicial supervision. However, sources indicated to Al-Rai daily that kidnapping was unlikely, as the citizen could have simply been present at the scene during the time of the drug bust. They affirmed that security authorities in Beirut are investigating the citizen to determine the circumstances behind his presence during the arrest of the criminal gang involved in drug-related activities.
