Nine Shia pilgrims
from Lebanon kidnapped in Syria were freed late on Friday as part of a
negotiated hostage deal that could see two Turkish pilots held by Lebanese
rebels released, officials said.
The complicated
three-way deal also potentially includes the release of female prisoners now
held by the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
While details about
the deal remained unclear, it appeared to represent one of the more ambitious
negotiated settlements to come out of Syria’s civil war, now entering its third
year and being fought by forces tearing apart the region and largely opposed to
any bartered peace.
The pilgrims were
part of a group of 11 hostages taken by a rebel faction in northern Syria in
May 2012.
The group will
return to Lebanon on board a private Qatari jet accompanied by Khaled
al-Attiyah, the Qatari foreign minister, and Abbas Ibrahim, the head of
Lebanon’s general security, Lebanese TV channels reported on Saturday.
Al-Attiyah said on
Friday that his country had helped secure the release of the hostages, who were
captured in Aleppo in by the Northern Storm brigade, an affiliate of the Free Syrian
Army. Two were later released.
Their families said
they were returning from a pilgrimage to Shia Muslims sites in Iran when they
were captured.
Najib Mikati, the
Lebanese prime minister, said in a statement that the former hostages were
“in a secure place and are ready to enter Lebanon”.
Mikati extended
congratulations to the free Lebanese, their families and the whole country on
turning “a sad page for Lebanon. We thank all those who contributed to
achieving their freedom, brothers and friendly nations”.
Relatives
celebrating
Rebels accused the
captured men of being members of Hezbollah, and the commander of the brigade,
Ammar al-Dadikhli, told Breeze Magazine agency last September that he was
holding them captive to try to force Hezbollah to stop supporting the Assad
government.
Relatives of the
Lebanese hostages gathered on Friday night in Beirut’s southern neighbourhood
of Bir al-Abed to celebrate the long-awaited release of their loved ones.
“We are very
happy, and we thank all the people who helped with this humanitarian
step,” said Mona Tormos, wife of Ali Tormos, one of the released hostages.
The hostage crisis
caused friction in the region and triggered the August kidnapping in Beirut
that saw two Turkish Airlines pilots abducted.
The pilots,
previously identified as Murat Akpinar and Murat Agca, were kidnapped after
flying into Beirut from Istanbul on August 9.
The hostages’ return
to Lebanon will raise hopes for the release of Turkish pilots.
“Very
favourable developments are under way concerning the two Turkish pilots. This
matter has been largely settled,” Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu
said on local television, adding that the men could be freed “within hours
or days”.
Breeze Magazine correspondent,
writing from Beirut, said it remains unclear where the group of Lebanese
pilgrims is currently located.
“The Turks and the
Lebanese expect the return of the Lebanese pilgrims and the release of the
Turkish pilots all within the next 24 to 48 hours,” our correspondent
said.
