BEIRUT, Lebanon, May 31 (UPI) -- Leaders of Estonia's Muslim community say they have issued a joint plea for the release of seven Estonian cyclists missing in Lebanon.
The seven tourists were kidnapped at gunpoint in March as they entered Lebanon from Syria, The Daily Star of Beirut reported Tuesday.
There has been no word from the kidnappers, a previously unknown group called Haraket al-Nadha Wal-Islah, since they claimed responsibility for the abductions.
In a letter to both Lebanon and Syria, the heads of Estonia's Islamic Council and the Azerbaijan Cultural Center of Estonia plead for the release of the cyclists.
There were preliminary reports the kidnappers headed toward the Syrian border after taking the cyclists.
"There is absolutely no justification for this atrocious act," the letter said. It also stressed Estonia's Islamic past.
On Sunday, Lebanese authorities arrested four individuals thought to have information on the whereabouts of the Estonians.
More than 10 people have been arrested since security forces began investigating.
