Lebanon opens investigation into Syrian militia leader’s abduction and transfer to Syria

Lebanon is probing the abduction of Ali Kayali, a former Syrian militia leader accused of committing crimes during the Assad regime, and his transfer to Syria, according to judicial and security officials. Kayali, also known as Mihrac Ural, was apprehended in Lebanon's Mansouriyeh mountain town. Syria's intelligence department claimed they detained Kayali while attempting to escape the border.

Lebanese authorities have tasked army and police intelligence units to investigate how he was moved from the Lebanese town to Syria, possibly via the Syrian Embassy in Beirut. No comment was made by Syria regarding the alleged kidnapping. A photograph of Kayali, handcuffed and dressed in a prison uniform, was circulated online. Lebanon has not ruled out the possibility that the image was taken at the Syrian Embassy.