Shafaq News / The Lebanese army announced on Monday that it had freed an Iraqi citizen who had been kidnapped for three days in the city of Jounieh, north of the capital Beirut. The kidnappers demanded a large sum of money for his release.

According to a statement from the Lebanese Army Directorate of Orientation, "On April 20th, the wanted Lebanese citizen, M.J., accompanied by armed men impersonating security personnel, kidnapped the Iraqi citizen, Badr Dafar Sayer, from inside a residential apartment in the city of Jounieh, and demanded a large sum of money from his family."

The statement went on to say that "the Intelligence Directorate carried out careful surveillance and security measures, raided the kidnappers' hiding places, and on April 23rd, managed to free the hostage in the Sharaouna area of Baalbek, northeast of the capital.

The army leadership is following up on the matter to arrest those involved in the kidnapping operation."