In March 2011, seven Estonian tourists cycling in the Bekaa Valley, Lebanon, were taken hostage, sparking a crisis that involved the Estonian government and local authorities.
In March 2011, seven tourists from Estonia, who were cycling in the Bekaa Valley of eastern Lebanon, were kidnapped in a region known for its industrial sector near the city of Zahla. The group had arrived in Lebanon on March 15 and planned to travel through Syria, returning to Lebanon via the Masnaa border crossing on March 23; unfortunately, the kidnapping occurred shortly after they crossed back into Lebanon. The assailants, armed men, fled the scene in two white vans and a dark Mercedes, leaving behind the tourists' bicycles, backpacks, identification cards, and mobile phones, which indicated the sudden and violent nature of the act.
