Three jihadist groups including the Front of al Nosra and the Islamic State, still holding hostage 15 soldiers and 14 policemen

Four soldiers and one policeman from Lebanon were set free last night. They had been captured about a month ago from Syrian fighters of al Qaeda in the eastern part of the country, according to security officials.

“Four soldiers and a member of the security forces, who were held hostage by al Nosra Front, were released and arrived in Arsal,” a town near the border with Syria, where they were received by a religious leader in the area acting as a mediator. “They have not yet surrendered to the security forces,” explained the source.

The National Information Agency (ANI) also reported the news of the release of the five men who were kidnapped in early August during bloody battles in the Arsal between the Lebanese army and the jihadists who came from Syria.

Three jihadist groups, including al Nosra the Front and the Islamic State, still holding hostage 15 soldiers and 14 policemen.

They wish to exchange the prisoners with Islamists in Lebanon, but the army has requested their unconditional release.

The release of the five hostages from the Front al Nosra occurred a few hours after the broadcast of a video showing the beheading of a man by members of the IR , who appears as one of the Lebanese soldiers which were kidnapped from Arsal.

The Lebanese army checks the authenticity of this video, which went to the Twitter accounts of IR supporters.