One abducted Iranian pilgrim released in Syria

(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - He is one of dozens of Iranian nationals abducted in Syria by the militants since the unrest began in the Arab state last year.In the latest of such kidnappings, on August 4, 48 Iranian pilgrims, who were traveling on a bus from Damascus International Airport to the shrine of Hazrat Zainab (AS) on the outskirts of the Syrian capital, Damascus, were abducted.In a video aired by the Saudi-owned al-Arabiya television network, the militants threatened to kill all of the Iranian abductees if the Syrian government did not release captured anti-government militants and if it did not stop operations against armed groups in the country within 48 hours.The threat was postponed after Qatari Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Hamad bin Jasim al-Thani urged the Syrian militants not to kill the Iranian pilgrims.The Qatari premier made the appeal following a telephone conversation with Iran’s Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi in October.Syria has been experiencing unrest since March 2011. Many people, including large numbers of security forces, have been killed in the turmoil.The Syrian government says the chaos is being orchestrated from outside the country, and there are reports that a very large number of the militants are foreign nationals. /129