Rapporteur of the Iranian Parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Seyed Hossein Naqavi said that the decision to summon the foreign envoys was taken after Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi came to parliament today and briefed the commission members on the results of his visit to Syria and his talks with the Syrian officials.
On August 4, armed insurgents in Syria kidnapped 48 Iranian pilgrims who were traveling on a bus from Damascus International Airport to the shrine of Hazrat Zainab (AS) on the outskirts of Damascus.
Later, unconfirmed media reports said three of them have been killed, but Iran rejected the reports saying that all of them are alive.
The terrorist group which has kidnapped the Iranians threatened on Friday that they would execute their hostages unless Syria withdrew from the embattled Eastern Ghuta area of Damascus province.
"We gave the regime 48 hours starting yesterday to withdraw completely from the Eastern Ghuta area," Abul Wafa, commander of the rebels' Revolutionary Military Council in Damascus province, told AFP via the Internet.
"We also have other secret, military demands. If the regime does not fulfill them we will start finishing off the hostages," warned Abul Wafa.
It is the second time the rebels have issued such a threat against the Iranian pilgrims.
Iran is using all diplomatic, political and security means to release the 48 Iranian pilgrims.
Ever since the abductions took place, the Foreign Ministry and the Iranian embassy in Damascus have been pursuing the fate and release of the kidnapped Iranian nationals through different channels.
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Ambassadors of Syria, Turkey and Qatar to Tehran have been summoned to the Iranian parliament with regard to the case of the 48 Iranian pilgrims who were abducted in Syria over two months ago, parliamentary sources announced on Sunday.
News ID 182962
