BEIRUT: President Michel Sleiman called Tuesday for the establishment of a task force comprising military and security personnel to resolve kidnapping cases, which have increased in the past year.

“Sleiman stressed the need to create a joint working committee drawn from the [security and military] agencies to investigate information about the location of the abductees, and actuate a plan to raid such locations and release them,” the president’s press office said.

He added that the security agencies should arrest the kidnappers “regardless of the difficulties or costs, in a bid to put an end to kidnappings and the undermining of security and violations of people's freedom.”

Sleiman has contacted military and security agencies to follow up on the cases of those kidnapped in Lebanon.

The most recent abduction took place Monday when the brother of the owner of a popular chain of bakeries in Lebanon was kidnapped in the Metn town of Bsalim. His family said the kidnappers demanded a ransom in exchange for his release.