The family of the latest Lebanese soldier to be beheaded by jihadi militants blamed the state for failing to prevent his abduction and called for the execution of Islamist prisoners.
But they also pleaded for Lebanese to remain calm and condemned attacks against Syrian refugees in the country that were sparked by the soldier's killing.
"The government didn't protect my son," Zeinab, the mother of slain soldier Abbas Medlej, told Al-Akhbar.
The beheading of the 20-year-old soldier at the hands of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) Saturday prompted a weekend of protests and attacks on Syrian refugees.
Abbas' brother is also a soldier, while their father served in the army for 23 years, Zeinab added.
"The three of them protected their country but their country didn't protect them," she said. "[Abbas] was beheaded in his own country.”
“The government should execute the Islamists in Roumieh prison," Ali, the soldier's father, said.
"The government should cut off the roads reaching the outskirts of Ersal so that no supplies can reach the ISIS militants,” he added, referring to the region in northeastern Lebanon where the fighters are holed up.
About 27 other soldiers and policemen are believed to be held captive by ISIS and the al-Qaeda-affiliated al-Nusra Front on the Syrian border.
Images that surfaced on social media Saturday allegedly showing the corpse of the beheaded soldier sparked a night of rage in the country.
In the Eastern Bekaa Valley, angry residents blocked roads with burning tires and set fire to a Syrian refugee camps in the town of Labwe.
Residents also attacked Syrian refugees in the town of Riyaq, with some targeting vehicles that were transporting the fleeing Syrians to the West Bekaa.
Roads in the southern suburbs of Beirut, including the airport road, were also blocked Saturday night.
Other areas affected included the northern Akkar district and Mount Lebanon.
The family of the beheaded soldier condemned the assaults on the Syrian refugees and called on people to stay calm and maintain unity.
Abbas' execution came more than a week after ISIS beheaded soldier Ali al-Sayyed, whose body was later transferred back to Lebanon.
This article is an edited translation from the Arabic Edition.
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