BEIRUT — Armed Shiite clansmen in Lebanon said Wednesday that they had captured more than 20 Syrians and will hold them until one of their relatives seized by rebels inside Syria is freed.
Lebanon is deeply divided between supporters and opponents of President Bashar Assad’s regime. The country, which was devastated by its own 15-year civil war that Syria was deeply involved in, has witnessed clashes between pro- and anti-Syrian groups over the past months, mostly in the northern city of Tripoli.
The Lebanese prisoner in Syria, Hassane Salim al-Mikdad, appeared in a video released by rebels over the past few days. He said he is a member of Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shiite militant group allied with predominantly Shiite Iran and with Syria.
Hezbollah denied al-Mikdad is a member and his family claimed he has been living in Syria for more than a year.
Meanwhile, a U.N. expert panel concluded Wednesday in a report that Syrian President Bashar Assad’s forces and pro-government shabiha fighters have perpetrated war crimes and crimes against humanity on Syrian civilians.
The panel appointed by the U.N.’s 47-nation Human Rights Council also concluded in its final report Wednesday to the Geneva-based council that anti-government armed groups committed war crimes, including murder, extrajudicial killings and torture, but at a lesser frequency and scale.
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