Relatives of Bashar Assad arrested as they tried to fly out of Lebanon, officials say

Associated Press

BEIRUT (AP) — Lebanese officials say the wife and daughter of one of deposed Syrian president Bashar Assad’s cousins have been arrested at the Beirut airport. They were attempting to fly out with allegedly forged passports. Assad’s uncle departed the day before. The wife of Duraid Assad — son of former Syrian Vice President Rifaat Assad who is the uncle of Bashar Assad — and their daughter were smuggled into Lebanon and were trying to fly to Egypt when they were arrested. Rifaat Assad flew out the day before on his real passport and was not stopped, the officials said.