CWN - The head of Lebanon’s national intelligence and security agency said that he is “indirectly in contact” with those who kidnapped the Greek and Syrian Orthodox archbishops of Aleppo, Syria, in April.

“About a month ago, I was able to contact a person who specified the location of the bishops, and we began our negotiations on such basis,” said Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim, as quoted by the Beirut-based Daily Star. “We are now indirectly in contact with the kidnappers, and that is a major development which we will use as a starting point to reach desired results.”

“I'm a Shiite and proud of that, and every one of us should be the same with their own sect, but the most important thing is to place our religion in the service of the nation and not of our particular sect,” he added.