7 men abducted in north Lebanon, sectarian motives feared

Seven people were kidnapped in north Lebanon Sunday in revenge for the Saturday kidnapping of a man in the northern region of Akkar, in what appears to be a sectarian tit-for-tat scenario. "Seven people have been kidnapped, six of whom are Syrian; this comes after the kidnapping of Mohammad Suleiman," Rami Khozaal, the mayor of Wadi Khaled, told The Daily Star. Khozaal warned that if the government fails to secure the safe return of Suleiman, who is believed to be in Syria, the situation would worsen. Earlier on Sunday, residents of Wadi Khaled staged a protest, blocking the main road in their area and calling on the government to intervene and resolve the issue. The Lebanese Army deployed in the Akkar region to prevent possible clashes between residents and erected several checkpoints. Suleiman was kidnapped Sunday in Wadi Khaled following the abduction of Hikmat Khalil in Ain Zayt, Akkar. Asked whether such abductions might lead to direct clashes between residents, Khozaal said Wadi Khaled could turn into another Tripoli. The northern city of Tripoli witnessed two separate deadly clashes last month that left at least 24 killed and over 100 wounded, sparking fears of a spike in sectarian tensions across the country.