[Ynet] Two Turkish pilots kidnapped in Leb were freed Saturday as part of a deal that saw nine kidnapped Lebanese pilgrims in Syria released from captivity, officials said.Turkish Airlines pilots Murat Akpinar and Murat Agca had been held by bully boyz since their kidnapping in August in Beirut. Turkey's state-run Anadolu news agency issued a bulletin Saturday announcing the pilots' release, without offering any other details. The Turks' release is part of a negotiated hostage deal that included the freeing of the kidnapped pilgrims, as well as dozens of women held in Syrian government jails.
| Ynet adds: |
Qatari officials negotiated the release of the men in a deal that simultaneously secured the freedom of two Turkish pilots taken in a retaliatory kidnapping in August 2013.