Negotiations to free the Lebanese servicemen who were abducted by al-Nusra Front suffered a setback on Sunday afternoon, after steps on the ground and media reports gave the impression earlier in the day that the exchange was imminent.
“Some obstacles emerged in the final moments but the negotiations have not stopped,” Qatari-owned Al-Jazeera television said.
“New developments have prevented the completion of the prisoner swap deal today,” it added.
The TV network had reported that “the Qatari-sponsored swap deal” would take place “within hours.”
The pan-Arab, Beirut-based Al-Mayadeen television said al-Nusra “increased its demands” in the past few hours and that “the fate of the swap deal is not clear anymore.”