HTS hands over 2 Hezbollah militants to Turkish authorities
IDLIB, Syria (North Press) – On Sunday, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS, formerly al-Nusra Front) handed over two Hezbollah militants to the Turkish authorities for first time in 2023.
An administrator in the Bab al-Hawa border crossing in Idlib Governorate, northwestern Syria, said that the detainees, Bilal Qanso and Jafar Mekdad, had been held in an HTS prison for more than 18 months.
The administrator said that the HTS General Security Service (GSS), represented by its leader al-Mughira al-Badawi, convened with Turkish intelligence members at the crossing and handed over both militants.
On Dec. 10, the GSS handed over an officer of the Syrian government forces to Turkish intelligence.
The source said the handover was based on an agreement between both sides. The deal stipulates that the HTS is required to hand over both Syrian and non-Syrian detainees held in its prisons whenever requested.