Doha: Unknown persons have kidnapped a Saudi employee of national flag carrier Saudia in the Lebanese capital of Beirut, and are demanding a ransom of $400,000 for him, media reported on Monday.
The kidnapping took place Sunday evening in the heart of Beirut’s shopping district, Al Ekhbariya broadcaster said, adding that a ransom note was sent from a southern suburb of the Lebanese capital, where Lebanese militant group Hezbollah is based.
The Saudi embassy in Lebanon confirmed the information about the kidnapping, noting that it is in contact with the Lebanese authorities over the incident.
Lebanese Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi told Al Arabiya broadcaster that “the kidnapped citizen of Saudi Arabia is fine, his kidnapping will not remain without response.”
Lebanese broadcaster LBC noted that after the incident, employees of the Saudi embassy in Lebanon were instructed not to go outside.