The fate of five Lebanese truck drivers remains unknown after jihadis released most of their fellow countrymen who were kidnapped at the Nasib crossing on the Syrian-Jordanian border, a union chief said Tuesday.
"Up until last night a total of 14 refrigerated truck drivers have been released,” Ali told local daily Al-Joumhouria.
“The fate of about five other truckers is still unknown,” he added.
Ali said at least 120 truck drivers were still stranded at the Jordanian-Saudi border and cannot return home due to the closer of the frontier.
“It’s true that they are in a safe place but they cannot return to Lebanon due to the closure of the Jordanian border,” he said.
According to Seer al-Dinnieh Mayor Ahmad Alam, who owns eight of the trucks stopped at the border crossing last Tuesday, only two Lebanese truck drivers were still being held captive by jihadis at the Nasib crossing.
Alam told The Daily Star that negotiations were ongoing for the release of the last two truckers.
A spokesperson for Lebanon’s General Security, which is responsible for border control, told The Daily Star a total of 16 truckers have entered Lebanon since Sunday.
The state-run National News Agency said another six truckers would arrive at the Masnaa crossing and enter Lebanon by Tuesday.
Alam said that some trucks remained on the Nasib crossing due to technical malfunctions, adding that calls were being made to facilitate their return.
