Syrian jets shelled a 400-meter tunnel near the border town of Arsal. The Al Nusrah Front released a video showing two kidnapped Lebanese soldiers pleading for the release of Islamist inmates from Roumieh Prison. Al Nusrah also warned Lebanese politicians that Hezbollah must be pulled out of Syria “in order to preserve the safety of your children.” An Army official said Qatar is mediating separately with Al Nusrah and the Islamic State over the fate of the kidnapped security forces. The Syrian government accused Qatar of supporting terrorism by paying large ransoms to terrorist kidnappers. A recent Western diplomatic report warns of the increasing threat the Islamic State poses to Lebanon.
