The Nusra Front threatened Sunday to start executing Army soldiers and policemen being held hostage in Lebanon's northeast in response to the Army's crackdown on Tripoli jihadists.
“We warn the Lebanese Army against escalating its military campaign against the Sunni people of Tripoli, and we demand that it breaks the siege and launch a peaceful compromise,” the fundamentalist group posted on its Twitter account just after midnight.
"Otherwise, we will have to begin ending the kidnapped soldiers file gradually during the next hours,” it added.
The group said the first execution will take place at 10 a.m. Sunday, and will target Army soldier Ali Bazzal. The Nusra had previously executed Mohammad Hamieh, while ISIS had beheaded two Army soldiers.
The two groups still hold captive about 27 Army soldiers and policemen they kidnapped during the five-day battle with the Army in the northeastern town of Arsal in early August.
Seven others have previously been released.
The Muslim Scholars Committee, which had at one point served as a mediator in the negotiations to free the captives, urged militants Sunday not to kill any of the servicemen.
It said taking such actions would further complicate the situation.
At least 14 people were killed in running battles between Lebanese troops and ISIS-inspired militants in Tripoli, north Lebanon. The clashes started Friday night with an attack on a Lebanese Army unit, and escalated to a full military campaign to rid the northern city of jihadists plotting attacks in the country.
Two civilians, six soldiers and at least six militants were killed and 20 people were wounded, including 10 soldiers, during the clashes in Tripoli.
