Click to see full-size image. Source: RT.
On July 2, Syrian authorities and Turkish-backed militants swapped prisoners as a part of a deal that was brokered by the Ministry of Defense of Russia and backed by Turkey.
The prisoners swap took place on the Abu al-Zandin crossing which links Turkish-occupied areas in northern Aleppo with areas held by Syrian government forces. The United Nations and the Red Crescent oversaw the deal.
Turkish-backed militants released five soldiers and officers of the Syrian Arab Army who were captured on different occasions. The freed captives were identified as Fahim Youssef Hamdan, Mortada Mahfouz, Milad Ashour, Hani al-Youssef and Ammar al-Abdullah.
In return, Syrian authorities released five militants, Hussein Issa, Mohammed Hamdo al-Boulad, Ahmed Shamia, Hassan al-Hais and Mohammed al-Rifai.
عملية تبادل أسرى بين الجيش الوطني وقوات الأسد برعاية الصليب الأحمر الدولي على معبر أبو الزندين شرقي حلب تضمنت الافراج عن 5 معتقلين من سجون نظام الأسد مقابل تسليم 5 أسرى من النظام لدى الجيش الوطني
(ألبوم 1) pic.twitter.com/rz7NO55a2O— وكالة زيتون الإعلامية – Zaitun Agency (@ZaitunAgency) July 2, 2021
جرت اليوم عملية تبادل للأسرى بين الجيش الوطني السوري ونظام أسد.
حيث أنه تم تبادل 5 أسرى بين كلا الطرفين على معبر أبو الزندين الفاصل بين نظام أسد وفصائل الثورة السورية في مدينة الباب شرقي حلب.#سوريا #حلب pic.twitter.com/cxBA7O4ix9— Mohamad Rasheed محمد رشيد (@mohmad_rasheed) July 2, 2021
This was not the first such deal. Over the last three years, Syrian authorities swapped prisoners with Turkish-backed militants in northern Aleppo and al-Qaeda factions in the region of Greater Idlib on several occasions. All the deals were brokered in the framework of the Astana Peace Talks.
Russia, Turkey and Iran are set to hold the next round of talks on peace in Syria in the Kazakhstani capital between the 6th and 8th of July.