Nine Lebanese pilgrims held by rebels in Syria since May last year could be released soon as part of a prisoner exchange after one last obstacle is removed, An Nahar daily reported on Tuesday.
The abductees are now in the custody of a Syrian opposition faction with close ties to Turkey, it said.
According to An Nahar, the prisoner swap includes the release of several detainees, including women, held by the Syrian regime and Lebanon's release of Islamists and Syrian opposition activists that are allegedly held in the country.
The daily hinted that a decision by Lebanon not to deport defected Syrian army lieutenant Mohammed Tlas could be linked to the deal struck with the rebels to release the pilgrims.
It said the Syrian opposition has “appreciated” President Michel Suleiman's latest call not to deport him to his home country.
Free Syrian Army official Louay al-Meqdad told An Nahar that the case of the pilgrims is “heading towards a happy ending.”
“The involved parties, including Turkey, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, have expressed willingness to resolve it,” he said but stressed there is one last obstacle preventing their release.
The three countries are staunch supporters of the rebellion against the regime of President Bashar Assad that erupted in March 2011.
Eleven Lebanese pilgrims were kidnapped last May on their way home from Iran. Two of them were released in August and September.
But the remaining nine are reportedly held in the Aleppo town of Aazaz near the Turkish border.
The Central News Agency has reported that a Lebanese security delegation headed to Turkey on Saturday to follow up the case. It said Interior Minister Marwan Charbel could head to Ankara if positive signs of the pilgrims' release appear.
The first major prisoner swap in Syria's conflict took place last month with rebels freeing 48 Iranians in exchange for more than 2,000 regime detainees in a deal with Damascus reportedly brokered by Turkey, Qatar and Iran.
The prisoner swap reportedly involved 48 Iranian men abducted by rebels in Damascus in early August and 2,130 prisoners of Syrian and other nationalities held in various cities by regime forces loyal to Assad.
