(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - Foreign-backed insurgents in Syria say they have postponed the implementation of their threat to kill abducted Iranian pilgrims to another time.
Ahmed al-Khatib, a spokesperson for the self-proclaimed Free Syrian Army (FSA) in Damascus Province, made the announcement on Monday. The FSA had threatened to execute the Iranian nationals by Sunday.
"Contact has been established with the Turkish authorities as part of indirect negotiations between the FSA” and the governments of Syria and Iran, al-Khatib said.
The spokesperson added that the insurgents “may start fulfilling” their threat to kill the Iranian pilgrims “in the coming hours” if the Syrian government does not comply with their demands.
Earlier in the day, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for Consular, Parliamentary and Expatriates Affairs Hassan Qashqavi said Qatar, Turkey and Syria had promised to help in order to stop the Syrian insurgents from carrying out their threat of killing the Iranian pilgrims.
On Saturday, the insurgents said they would kill the abductees if the Syrian government does not release captured anti-government insurgents and if it does not stop operations against armed groups in the country within 48 hours.
On August 4, 48 Iranians who were travelling on a bus from Damascus International Airport to the shrine of Hazrat Zeinab (AS) on the outskirts of the Syrian capital were kidnapped by the insurgents.
Hundreds of thousands of Iranians travel to Syria every year to visit the Shrine of Hazrat Zeinab (AS) in Damascus.
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9 October 2012 - 07:56
News ID: 354859
Foreign-backed insurgents in Syria say they have postponed the implementation of their threat to kill abducted Iranian pilgrims to another time.
