From Syria 19.10.2013

Syrian rebels free Lebanese hostages

Officials say nine men kidnapped in Aleppo last year have been released.

Nine Lebanese hostages held in Syria since last year have been released, officials say. Qatari Foreign Minister Khaled al-Attiyah said on Friday that his country had helped secure the release of the hostages, who were among eleven people captured in Aleppo in May 2012 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 religious sites in Iran when they were captured. "The nine Lebanese held in Syria are on their way to Turkey," Lebanon's Interior Minister Marwan Charbel told the AFP news agency on Friday. Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati 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". He also revealed that Qatar's al-Attiyah, who is in Turkey, will accompany the men back to Lebanon. Rebels accused the captured men of being members of Hezbollah, and the commander of the brigade, Ammar al-Dadikhli, told the AP news agency last September that he was holding them captive to try to force Hezbollah to stop supporting the regime of the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad. The hostages' return to Lebanon will raise hopes for the release of two Turkish pilots abducted in Beirut on August 9. The pilots were kidnapped by a previously unknown group which said it had seized them to secure the release of the nine Lebanese. "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".