BEIRUT, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Lebanese President Michel Suleiman warned Wednesday against any attempt to tamper with his country's civil peace and threaten its citizens and foreign residents' safety, the National News Agency (NNA) reported.
The NNA quoted Suleiman as saying, during a meeting with heads of the security agencies, that "the spreading of chaos endangers the lives of our citizens, and threatens the state's entity which upholds the people's lives and rights."
He stressed the need to implement the cabinet decision issued on July 9, which entails preventing any road from being cut off and protecting friendly countries' mission headquarters in Lebanon, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey and Syria.
Suleiman expressed his sympathy with the kidnapped Lebanese in Syria and their families, and stressed the need to protect Lebanon from the repercussions of its neighboring countries' crises.
A Lebanese family said Wednesday that it has kidnapped more than 26 Free Syrian Army (FSA) members, including a Turk, in Lebanon in retaliation for their kinsman's abduction, the National News Agency reported.
The spokesman of the powerful family in Lebanon claimed that there is a Turk among the abducted, saying "we may take escalated measures depending on the latest developments," according to NNA and LBCI TV channel.
LBCI broadcast images of the passport of the Turk kidnapped by the family of Hassan Salim al-Meqdad, who was allegedly being held by the Syrian rebels.
In turn, the Turkish Foreign Ministry demanded the Lebanese government provide information on the Turkish national, according to al-Jadeed TV.
The family also held Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey responsible for their relative's abduction, as they think those countries are supporters of the Syrian opposition.
Sources said the security measures near the Turkish, Qatari and Saudi embassies in Beirut have intensified in the aftermath of the abduction, according to LBCI.
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