BEIRUT: A joint Lebanese-Iraqi operation has freed three Lebanese who were kidnapped on Oct. 22 in Baghdad.
Lebanon’s Interior Ministry on Sunday confirmed the release of businessman Imad Al-Khatib, lawyer Nader Hamadeh and George Batrouni.
“Some” of the kidnappers were arrested, one was killed, and “security forces are pursuing the rest of the gang,” the ministry said.
Interior Minister Nouhad Machnouk told Arab News: “There are no political dimensions to the kidnapping. The kidnappers presented themselves as commercial brokers.”
There was “close coordination with Iraqi intelligence,” but “no Lebanese security presence on the ground in the process of freeing the kidnapped people in Baghdad,” he said, praising the work of the Lebanese security services.
Machnouk called Iraq’s intelligence chief on Sunday morning to thank him for his efforts. The minister also thanked Iraq’s government.
A security source told Arab News: “The hijackers brought Al-Khatib to Baghdad on the pretext that they wanted to invest $100 million in Lebanon. They kidnapped him, along with his agent Hamadeh and Batrouni, when they left Baghdad airport.”
The kidnappers demanded a ransom of $2 million, but reduced it to $1 million, the source said.
“Iraqi intelligence, after handing over the amount to the kidnappers, cordoned them off, arrested three, killed one and freed the hostages. They’re pursuing another member of the gang,” the source said, adding that the ransom money will be returned to Lebanon.