Kidnapped Turks, Shia pilgrims released in Syria hostage deal

Two Turkish pilots kidnapped in Lebanon were released Saturday and handed over to Lebanese security officials, Turkey's state-run Anadolu news agency reported. The development came hours after the release of nine Shia pilgrims from Lebanon, who were abducted by rebels in Syria last year.

The Turkish Airlines pilots were abducted in Beirut in August by a little-known group call Zuwwar Al-Imam Rida to pressure Turkey into helping secure the release of the nine Shia pilgrims, who were kidnapped by opposition fighters in Syria in May 2012. Turkey is thought to have close ties to some Syrian rebel groups.

The Turks' release is part of a negotiated hostage deal that included the freeing of the kidnapped pilgrims, as well as dozens of women held in Syrian government jails. The hostage crisis added to friction in the region.

The pilots, previously identified as Murat Akpinar and Murat Agca, were kidnapped after flying into Beirut from Istanbul on Aug. 9.

The nine Shia pilgrims from Lebanon abducted in Syria last year have been freed and transferred to Turkey on Saturday, shortly before the pilots’ release was secured.

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 Saturday.

Al-Attiyah said 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."

Rebels accused the captured men of being members of Hezbollah, and the commander of the brigade, Ammar al-Dadikhli, told The Associated Press last September that he was holding them captive to try to force Hezbollah to stop supporting the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Relatives of the Lebanese hostages gathered on Friday night in Beirut's southern neighborhood 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.

Al Jazeera's Andrew Simmons, reporting from Beirut, said it remained unclear where the group of Lebanese pilgrims is currently located.

"The Turks and the Lebanese expect the return of the Lebanese pilgrims … within the next 24 to 48 hours," he said.

Al Jazeera and wire services