In a successful special operation, the Lebanese army has rescued a Saudi national, Mushari al-Mutairi, who was abducted in Beirut over the weekend and held for ransom. Al-Mutairi, an employee of Saudia, the Saudi national airline, was reportedly kidnapped after midnight on Saturday, with his captors demanding a ransom of $400,000, according to Saudi state-run TV station Al Ekhbariya.
The operation unfolded along the Lebanon-Syria border, where al-Mutairi was being held. Further details about the operation have not been released, but Lebanese media reported that the army’s intelligence division executed it in the northeastern district of Hermel.
In a statement released by his office, caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati commended the army on the successful operation and stressed the government’s commitment to guaranteeing the security of its citizens and foreign visitors.
Mikati’s comments come at a time when Lebanon is struggling with a severe economic crisis that has pushed three-quarters of its 6 million people into poverty.