Syrian rebels release abducted Lebanese journalist

Lebanese Interior Minister Marwan Charbel said Wednesday that Fidaa Itani, a Lebanese journalist held by a Syrian rebel group, has been released and arrived in Turkey, the National News Agency reported. Al-Jazeera TV also reported that "Journalist Fidaa Itani has been released by the Northern Storm Brigade in Syria." Earlier on Wednesday, the Northern Storm Brigade issued a statement saying "Itani will be released within hours and will be sent to Lebanon via the Turkish territory after being interrogated. " The statement stressed that "the process will happen without the mediation of any party or any payment of ransom." On Saturday, the Northern Storm Brigade said it had detained the journalist over some "security reasons." Itani, who works for LBCI television and some other news channels, was detained "because his work is incompatible with the path of the Syrian revolution," the rebels posted on their website. They said "Itani is not yet proven to have connections with the parties that work against the revolution, but his presence as a journalist is no longer allowed in areas controlled by us."