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Turkish Airlines staff abducted

August 9, 2013

Two Turkish Airlines employees have been abducted by gunmen while leaving Beirut's airport in Lebanon. There has been no immediate explanation or claim of responsibility.

https://p.dw.com/p/19Mpl
This picture taken on March 16, 2013 shows a Turkish Airlines aircraft parked at the Ataturk Airport in Istanbul. Turkish Airlines said on March 15 it would buy up to 117 planes from the European aircraft manufacturer Airbus, with deliveries scheduled between 2015 and 2020. AFP PHOTO/BULENT KILIC (Photo credit should read BULENT KILIC/AFP/Getty Images)
Image: Bülent Kilic/AFP/Getty Images

Security officials say the two male airline employees, both Turkish nationals, were seized by gunmen at around 3 a.m. (0000 GMT) as they were travelling in a vehicle with other Turkish Airlines crew members from the Beirut International Airport to a hotel.

"We immediately contacted the Lebanese authorities at every level ... and they are conducting a very comprehensive investigation," Turkish foreign ministry spokesman Levent Gumrukcu said.

"As yet, we do not know who did it or for what purpose," he said.

He added that the rest of the crew were safe in a Beirut hotel and will return to Turkey as soon as possible.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility, however the incident is likely related to the conflict in neighboring Syria. Turkey is a strong backer of the Syrian rebels while Lebanese Shiites support the regime of President Bashar al-Assad.

In May 2012, a rebel group abducted several Lebanese Shiites in northern Syria, nine of which are still missing.

The families of those captured last year have demanded that Ankara use its influence to take greater steps to secure the release of their relatives.

hc/ipj(Reuters, AFP, AP)