Al-Qaida-linked group releases video of Lebanese troops captured in border town

BEIRUT – Al-Qaida's Syrian affiliate has released a video showing Lebanese soldiers and policemen recently captured by the group.

The soldiers and policemen say they will be killed if Lebanon's militant Hezbollah movement, which is backing Syrian President Bashar Assad, does not withdraw its fighters from Syria.

The al-Qaida branch, known as the Nusra Front, captured the men on Aug. 2 during an attack on the Lebanese border town of Arsal, which is home to tens of thousands of Syrian refugees.

The video, released by Nusra Front's media arm, al-Manara al-Baydha, appeared genuine and corresponded to other AP reporting of the events.

The Arsal attack was the most serious spillover of violence yet into Lebanon.

The U.N. says more than 191,000 people have been killed in Syria's three-year conflict.