ISIS Leader's Ex-Wife Freed in Swap With Al Qaeda-Linked Nusra Front

The ex-wife of an ISIS leader was among 13 Islamists released in swap with al Qaeda's Syrian wing in exchange for Lebanese captives on Tuesday, NBC News reported. 

Saja al-Dulaimi, ex-wife of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, was seen being taken to eastern Lebanon in a convoy in footage aired by the Al-Jazeera television channel. She was detained in Lebanon last year when she tried to cross the border illegally with her current husband, using forged identity cards.

She and 12 other prisoners were handed over to Syria’s al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front in exchange for 16 Lebanese security personnel who were held hostage since 2014, according to Lebanese security officials.

The Nusra Front and ISIS kidnapped 29 Lebanese policemen and soldiers last year. Four have been killed and nine will remain in captivity after Tuesday’s swap.

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