World
Beirut hostage situation ended with partial payment of what bank owes
Bassem Sheikh Hussein, the armed depositor who held clients and employees hostage in Hamra’s Federal Bank of Lebanon, has released the hostages after agreeing to a partial payment of $35,000 from his own deposit.
Sheikh Hussein entered the bank before noon on Thursday where he was armed and carrying a canister of gasoline, demanding the bank give him back his $209,000 deposit.
His father is reportedly in hospital and in need of $50,000 worth of treatment.
The hostage situation lasted for over six hours. Initially, Sheikh Hussein was offered $10,000, which he rejected. He was then offered $30,000, which he also rejected, but later accepted the $35,000 and released the hostages.
He walked out of the bank escorted by security officers.
