Lebanese army and al-Nusra Front conduct prisoner swap

Qatari-brokered deal secures release of 16 Lebanese security officers seized by Syrian group in exchange for 13 people.

 

Lebanon - The Lebanese army and Syria's al-Nusra Front have conducted a long-awaited prisoner swap outside the border town of Arsal, where a group of Lebanese soldiers were kidnapped last year.
The deal, brokered by Qatari mediators, entails the release of 16 Lebanese security officers - soldiers and policemen - by al-Nusra Front and, from the Lebanese side, 13 prisoners, including five women.
The Lebanese Red Cross were at the site of the exchange alongside the army as al-Nusra Front fighters sitting on the back of trucks raised their flag, celebrating the deal.
One of the released soldiers told Al Jazeera: "We would like to thank al-Nusra Front for releasing us. We would like to thank everyone who took part in the negotiations that led to our release."
At the initial stage of the exchange, al-Nusra Front handed over the body of a soldier, Mohammed Hamieh, killed by its fighters.
"Of course we are so happy to finally get [his body] back," one of Hamieh's relatives said in Beirut, tears running down her cheeks.
Members of the family had camped out in downtown Beirut for over a year, demanding the release of all the captured soldiers.
Months of negotiations
The 16 Lebanese security officers - plus two soldiers who were killed in captivity - were kidnapped by al-Nusra Front in Syria during deadly clashes in August 2014 in Arsal.

Footage from the prisoner exchange

The prisoner exchange followed months of exhaustive negotiations.
Among the prisoners released by Lebanon are Jumana Hmayed, who was arrested for transporting "terrorists into Lebanon", and Saja Dulaimi, former wife of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, leader of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).
Dulaimi was arrested in November 2014 by Lebanese security forces in northern Lebanon, on charges of belonging to a terrorist group.
In June 2015, she gave birth in prison to a baby girl. Included in the exchange were her children who remained with her during her incarceration.
Dulaimi told Al Jazeera Arabic's correspondent in Arsal that she is planning on going to Turkey.
"I am Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's ex-wife. We have been divorced for over six years now. I will head to Beirut and plan on leaving to Turkey," she said.
News initially broke out on Friday evening that there was a breakthrough in the negotiations and a swap would be imminent. Reports detailed large convoys, said to be carrying the Lebanese prisoners, moved from the prisons towards the Bekaa in preparation for the swap.
But Lebanon's General Security, the agency handling the hostage file, urged local media outlets to refrain from reporting any details until the swap was complete for fear of derailing the deal.
Al-Nusra demands
Previous attempts at completing the prisoner swap had failed in the past.
The same situation nearly transpired over the weekend, when al-Nusra Front included new demands at the 11th hour.

According to Lebanese security sources, al-Nusra Front demanded the inclusion of the file of Mustapha Hujeiri, who has been key in mediating with the terrorist organisation, and has been handed a life sentence in absentia by the Lebanese judiciary.
Security sources said Abbas Ibrahim, head of Lebanon's General Security, ordered aid trucks that had been brought up as part of the deal to turn around and put a halt to the negotiations following the request.
On Monday, the negotiations resumed again and reports signalled positive steps taken to finalise the exchange.
The August 2014 clashes left 19 soldiers killed and a further 35 soldiers and policemen were kidnapped by fighters from both ISIL and al-Nusra Front.
In the immediate aftermath, seven were released. In the following months, two soldiers were beheaded by ISIL, and another two were killed by al-Nusra Front. Currently there are 16 soldiers with al-Nusra Front and nine with ISIL.
Repeated attempts to negotiate with ISIL regarding the hostages in their possession have so far been unsuccessful, and there is no information on their situation.

The families of the hostages have been camping out in Beirut's downtown area, refusing to remove their encampment until the file is resolved and all their sons have been returned.
"Even if they release the 16 hostages [from al-Nusra Front], we will stay down here until all of them have been released," Rima Geagea, sister of Pierre Geagea, one of the kidnapped soldiers, said.
"We will not move until that happens."
The last few days has proven to be an emotional rollercoaster for the families and relatives of the hostages, as every so often the reports regarding the negotiations would take a different turn.
As one relative said, "We are used to this, and we will not give up until they all come home."