Syria's al-Qaida branch releases captive Lebanese soldiers
Syria's al-Qaida branch on Tuesday released a group of Lebanese troops held captive for over a year as part of a Qatar-brokered swap in which Lebanon freed at least 11 prisoners, including a former wife of Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
The release caps Lebanon's ordeal over the fate of its soldiers while also providing the al-Qaida branch, known as the Nusra Front, with new leverage as a group that can be negotiated with in Syria's chaotic civil war.
