Government, Opposition Exchange Prisoners East of Syria’s Aleppo
ALEPPO, Syria (North Press) – A prisoner exchange between the Syrian government forces and Turkish-backed armed Syrian opposition factions took place in Abu al-Zandin crossing in the countryside of al-Bab, a city east of Aleppo governorate.
A source told North Press that the swap took place with a Turkish-Russian mediation and under the auspices of the United Nations (UN) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
10 prisoners were exchanged, with each side receiving five detainees from the other.
Abu al-Zandin crossing in al-Bab separates the areas held by the government forces and those of the Turkish-backed armed factions, also known as the Syrian National Army (SNA).
The exchange took place in the presence of Fahim Issa, the Commander in Chief of the Hayat Thaeroon for Liberation, a Syrian opposition armed faction, in addition to a Turkish military convoy that included Turkish officers, the source added.
The city of al-Bab has been under the control of the Turkish-backed factions since 2017.
In December 2021, a similar prisoner exchange operation took place in al-Bab, with each side handing five prisoners to the other.
On January 30, the Syrian opposition Jaysh al-Izza faction conducted a prisoner exchange with the government forces east of Idlib, in which the faction released five members of the Syrian government forces, in addition to the body of an Iranian brigadier general, in exchange for the government forces releasing three prisoners belonging to Jaysh al-Izza.