Syrian opposition members kidnapped on Tuesday 13 Lebanese Shiites in Aleppo, as they were returning from a visit to holy sites in Iran. According to relatives of the hostages, the women were later released while the men are still being held by Syrian rebels.

Hizbullah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah has called for restraint and to hold off violence. He claimed that negotiations with the Syrian authorities and a number of influential countries in the region are taking place to end the hostage situation.