Northern Strom Brigade: We Will Release Two Aazaz Pilgrims if Females Imprisoned by Syrian Regime Are Freed

The Northern Storm Brigade announced on Sunday that it will not negotiate over the abduction of the Lebanese pilgrims kidnapped in Syria's Aazaz before the release of female prisoners detained by the Syrian regime.

"We gave the international committee in the presence of Lebanese diplomats the names of 370 women jailed in Syria to swap with two pilgrims,” the Brigade said in a released statement posted on its official Facebook page.

It added: “The Syrian regime claimed it has 127 detainees only, and we expressed out consent to this.”

“However, Iran's party (Hizbullah) started stalling and sent fighters to Aleppo and its countryside and intensified the bombing of that area. It also negotiated the release of the abductees with parties whose presence we do not acknowledge and suggested deals that do not mention the female prisoners.”

The Brigade stressed: “We only negotiate over the release of these women and any talks with (Syrian president Bashar) Assad's regime are done through the international committee tasked with this mission.”

"If Iran's party wanted us to release two pilgrims before the Fitr holiday, it should rush and free the female detainees.”

On July 19, a number of women jailed by the Syrian regime were released, including several whose names are on a list set by the kidnappers of Lebanese pilgrims in Aazaz.

The release, however, did not contribute to free any of the pilgrims.

Eleven Lebanese pilgrims were kidnapped in Syria's Aleppo region in May 2012 as they were making their way back by land to Lebanon from pilgrimage in Iran.

Two of the captives have since been released, while the rest remain held in Aazaz.