Lebanese pilgrims kidnapped in Syria appear in video aired on Al-Jazeera
Syrian rebel group holding the Shi'ite Lebanese hostages claims 5 of them are Hezbollah members
BEIRUT (AP) — Lebanese pilgrims kidnapped in Syria last month have appeared in a video aired on Arab satellite television Al-Jazeera.
The men, who appear to be in good health, say they are fine. The video was aired on Saturday.
A previously unknown Syrian rebel group said earlier in June it is holding 11 Lebanese Shiite pilgrims abducted May 22 after crossing into Syria from Turkey en route to Lebanon. The group called itself Syrian Rebels in Aleppo.
It claimed five of the hostages were members of the militant Lebanese Hezbollah group and demanded its leader, Sheik Hassan Nasrallah, apologize for recent comments in support of Syrian President Bashar Assad. Nasrallah, an ally of Syria’s regime, had said the kidnapping would not change his group’s stance.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.