Whereabouts of Iranians abducted in Syria have been identified: Iranian envoy

TEHRAN,Aug.22(MNA) – The Iranian ambassador to Damascus said the whereabouts of 48 Iranian nationals, who were abducted while on a pilgrimage in the Syrian capital Damascus on August 4, have been identified. Ambassador Mohammad Reza Sheibani said efforts to obtain the release of the abductees are continuing. He said after follow-ups by Syrian officials, a political and security committee was established to pursue the issue. He went on to say that in line with efforts to resolve the issue, Iran is monitoring the developments occurring in the region and has held a few meetings in this regard, including the recent meeting between Iranian and Turkish foreign ministers. Sheibani emphasized that the issue of abduction in Syria is not limited to the Iranian nationals because armed groups in the country use abduction of foreign nationals as a tool to achieve their goals. He said, “Some time ago, we witnessed that a number of Italian and Eastern European citizens were also kidnapped in Syria.” He added an ambassador from the European countries had a meeting with him and asked to use Iran’s experience in obtaining the release of abductees.