Syria rebels say will release Lebanese hostages in “new civil state”June 9, 2012 - 15:55 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Syrian rebels holding 11 Lebanese Shi'ite pilgrims hostage said they would release the men when their country had established a new "civil state" but left room for negotiations, a video obtained by Al Jazeera television showed. The hostages said in the video they were in good health and being treated well, Reuters reported. "The guests will be released by the Syrian civil state when their case is reviewed by a new democratic parliament," the rebels said in a written statement on the video. "But given the current conditions it may be possible to negotiate their release with neighboring countries." A 15-month-old uprising against four decades of Assad family rule has grown increasingly bloody as rebels bring the fight to President Bashar al-Assad's security forces trying to crack down on the rebellion. Rebels have previously kidnapped men from Syria's Shi'ite ally Iran, who said they were pilgrims but who rebels said were fighting with Assad's forces. The men were later released. The Lebanese hostages were on a bus that was stopped by gunmen as it crossed into northern Syria from Turkey on its way home from a pilgrimage to Iran. The gunmen released the women and kept the men. Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | Exclusive access to all EURO 2024 games for Ucom subscribers This year once again Ucom stands as the primary partner of UEFA EURO 2024 in Armenia. Armenia, U.S. to upgrade Strategic Dialogue meeting to Strategic Partnership Commission The two governments have release a statement on the occasion of the U.S.-Armenia Strategic Dialogue Capstone meeting. Azerbaijan complains to Germany about Armenia's constitution Bayramov has complained about the Armenian constitution to his German counterpart Annalena Berbock. idcoin: New tool in IDBank’s loyalty system IDBank has announced the launch of idcoin, a new tool in the customer loyalty system. |