BFF-12 IS releases six of 27 Druze hostages held in southern Syria: monitor

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IS releases six of 27 Druze hostages held in southern Syria: monitor

BEIRUT, Oct 20, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – The Islamic State group has released six
of 27 Druze hostages it seized during a deadly July attack in Syria’s Sweida
province in exchange for a prisoner swap and ransom, a monitor said Saturday.

“Two women and four children from the province of Sweida were released
last night,” Rami Abdel Rahman, director of the Syrian Observatory for Human
Rights, a monitor group, told AFP.

He added that the releases were the “first wave” and part of an agreement
sealed with the Syrian government to exchange all the hostages for “60
Islamic State prisoners held by the regime and a ransom of $27 million.”

BSS/AFP/MR/ 1020 hrs