Beirut: An Islamist militant commander in Syria who has pledged allegiance to Daesh has threatened to “retaliate” against Lebanese Shiites and families of Lebanese soldiers over the arrest of his wife and two children in Lebanon, according to a new militant posting.
The threat underscores how tiny Lebanon, with its own Sunni-Shiite sectarian tensions and divisions over neighbouring Syria’s civil war, is increasingly being pulled into the battle with Daesh, which has captured much of Syria and Iraq.
The video statement by the militant, Abu Ali Al Shishani — whose real name is Anas Sharkas, according to Lebanese authorities — also said that mediation efforts for the release of more than 20 Lebanese soldiers held captive since August by Daesh and Al Qaida-linked militants in Syria have stopped, until his family is freed.
It was unclear from the statement, released late on Thursday, what role Al Shishani has played so far in the mediation efforts, which are led by Qatar, a traditional Mideast mediator.
The arrest of Al Shishani’s family members was announced by authorities in Beirut earlier this week, shortly after they announced they are holding a wife and child of Daesh leader, Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi. Iraqi officials have disputed that announcement, saying neither of Al Baghdadi’s two wives has been detained.
In his threat, Al Shishani says Shiite women and children, along with families of Lebanese soldiers will be “legitimate targets” for his militants. Lebanon’s Shiite Hezbollah group has sent fighters to back President Bashar Al Assad’s forces.
In the video, Al Shishani, who is shown seated in front of a black flag of Daesh, flanked by two masked gunmen, says one of his detained children is four and the other is still a baby.
The authenticity of Al Shishani’s video posting could not be independently verified but it appeared on websites commonly used by militants.
