Opposition fighters ended an exchange deal of prisoners with the Assad regime through intermediaries in Busr al-Harir town in Daraa province.
The deal released four women and a young man from Assad prisons in exchange for the release of four Afghan mercenaries who were fighting alongside regime terrorists and had been captured by opposition fighters a year ago.
Abo Alaa al-Hariri told Baladi News that “the exchange deal took a weak of coordination between members of the negotiating committee and there was a disagreement concerning the names of the detainees listed in the exchange.”
Al-Hariri added that “pro-Assad media highlighted the conditions of the Afghan prisoners which had a significant impact in the exchange process.”
An opposition fighter stated that “many videos were taken for the Afghans which were translated into several languages, forcing the Assad regime to comply with Iran’s orders.”
“The videos provoked Iran which then ordered the arrest of women on Assad barriers to pressure Busr al-Harir,” al-Hariri said, noting that “this is not the first time that the regime uses this method during exchange deals.”
Opposition fighters stated that “pressures from Iran forced Assad to demand the release of the Afghani mercenaries in exchange for Syrian civilian prisoners.”
The Assad regime refuses to swap his officers and loyalists held captive with opposition fighters, while it seems willing enough to negotiate for Hezbollah or Afghan or Iranian militants.
