Government, opposition exchange prisoners east of Syria’s Idlib
IDLIB, Syria (North Press) – Following negotiations lasted for days, a prisoner exchange between the Syrian government forces and Turkish-backed opposition factions took place on Sunday in the Saraqib area, east of Idlib, northwest Syria.
The opposition Jaysh al-Izza faction conducted a prisoner exchange with the government forces at the Tramba crossing, east of Idlib, under the auspices of the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC), after negotiations that lasted for three days, North Press reported military sources in Jaysh al-Izza.
Jaysh al-Izza 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, the sources added.
The Iranian brigadier general was killed in 2016 by Jaysh al-Izza in Tel al-Nasiriya in the northern countryside of Hama. The faction had placed the brigadier general’s body in mortuaries in order to negotiate it at a later time, the sources noted.
Meanwhile, Jaysh al-Izza said its three members were captured while working behind the lines of contact with the government forces in the eastern countryside of Idlib.
In mid-December, 2021 a prisoner exchange operation took place between the Syrian government forces and Turkish-backed opposition factions at the Abu Zandin corridor in the countryside of al-Bab city, east of Aleppo.