Kidnappers in Lebanon demand SR 100,000 for Saudi

A Saudi national was kidnapped in Lebanon recently, marking a serious phase of the Syrian civil war as it spills over to the neighboring Lebanese territory. 
In a telephone interview with Arab News, Abdul Muhsin Farouq Al-Qorashi, the brother of the Saudi man abducted in Lebanon, confirmed reports that his brother Khalid was captured in Ersal, a Lebanese town close to the Syrian border.
Abdul Muhsin said his brother married a Syrian woman 10 years ago. She went to visit her family and never returned to the Kingdom. He has not seen his daughter since his former wife left, added the brother.
“More than two weeks ago, my brother received a telephone call from one of his ex-wife’s relatives asking him to come and get his daughter in return for SR 100,000. However, my brother told them he didn’t have that kind of money,” said Abdul Muhsin.
“Later Khalid received another call in which they lowered the ransom to SR 10,000. A meeting was scheduled in one of the Lebanese border villages. My brother coordinated with the Saudi Embassy in Beirut and went to Lebanon, where he was kidnapped.”
Abdul Muhsin added that one of the kidnappers phoned him from his brother’s mobile phone and demanded a ransom of SR 100,000. He added that he had spoken to his kidnapped brother and it was evident over the phone that he was distraught and suffering.  
The kidnappers have cut off one of Khalid’s fingers and threatened to inflict greater harm if the ransom was not paid. 
The Saudi Embassy had warned Khalid against going to the border town, which is witnessing perilous security conditions. However, he insisted on the grounds that his former wife’s brother promised to return his daughter for a lower ransom.
The embassy arranged with the International Islamic Relief Organization serving on the border zone and local Lebanese officials for Khalid’s visit. However, he was still abducted upon entering the town even though he was in the company of the town’s mayor. The abductors called the Citizens Affairs Section at the Saudi Embassy a few days after the abduction demanding a ransom of SR 100,000.
The ambassador said he would hold the abductors responsible if the Saudi citizen is harmed in any way.
In a related development, Lebanese police authorities closed the area close to the residence of the Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon, Ali Asiri, in Beirut on Monday after finding a suspicious looking car parked close to the residence. 
“A BMW was found parked about 300 meters from the Asiri’s residence between the Al-Rousha and Al-Remla Al-Bida areas,” an Arabic daily reported Tuesday.
It was the ambassador’s security guard who noticed the presence of the unidentified car. Police were immediately called to investigate.
The police discovered that the car had a fake number plate. The road was reopened after a bomb squad examined the car and found no explosives inside.