Syrian, not Saudi citizen kidnapped in Lebanon, media reports clarify

Lebanese media on Tuesday denied reports from a day earlier that said a Saudi citizen was kidnapped in the east of the country, clarifying that it was a Syrian national residing in the United Arab Emirates who was abducted.

A judicial official had said that a Saudi man was lured to Lebanon by a gang to buy property, and was snatched and taken directly to Baalbek on Sunday upon landing in Beirut.

But it appears that Syrian national, identified only by initials B.T., arrived in Lebanon on July 22 from the UAE and was taken to Baalbek, according to LBCI TV.

Citing security sources, Aljoumhouria newspaper also said there was a mix-up over the man’s identity, and that the case was related to personal financial issues and not a kidnapping.

Security forces were following up on the case, the sources added.

The army often conducts raids in Baalbek, notably in Al-Sharawneh neighbourhood, over cases of drug trafficking, theft, kidnapping and other crimes.

Unrest and clashes between rival influential clans are common in Baalbek, where the Iran-backed Shia movement Hezbollah is dominant.