The body of Khodr Karam Zeaiter, nephew of Amal movement MP Ghazi Zeaiter, was discovered on Tuesday in Hanna Valley, inside Syrian territory near the eastern Lebanese caza of Hermel. Zeaiter’s body bore multiple bullet wounds.
Zeaiter was kidnapped two days ago along with three other young men from his village, Blouza, on the outskirts of Homs in Syria, by armed elements who had demanded a ransom from his family, according to Lebanese media.
The victim's body was handed over to the Red Cross by the new Syrian authorities, in coordination with the Lebanese army. The other three kidnapped individuals, also from the Zeaiter family, remain in the hands of the kidnappers.
This tragedy comes at a time when armed clashes have been ongoing for several days on the Lebanese-Syrian border between Lebanese tribes, including the Zeaiter and Jaafar clans, and forces from the new Syrian administration, which wants to put an end to smuggling between Lebanon and Syria.
Tension was high in the afternoon in the border area, where armed elements from both tribes took up positions on the road to Kald el-Sabeh, north of Hermel.
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