In this photo provided by the Syrian official news agency SANA, Syrian security agents carry a body following a huge explosion that shook central Damascus, Syria, Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013. A car bomb shook central Damascus on Thursday, exploding near the headquarters of the ruling Baath party and the Russian Embassy, eyewitnesses and opposition activists said. (AP Photo/SANA)
The crisis started last week when a bus carrying a few dozen Shiites, mostly women and children, disappeared in northern Syria. Activists say Shiite gunmen accused rebels, and kidnapped more than 200 residents of nearby Sunni villages in retaliation.
Activist Hamza Abu al-Hassan said Friday that after a swap deal, the Shiites were released early Thursday and most of the Sunnis were freed later the same day.
Local Shiites could not be reached for comment, but Facebook pages for their villages said the captives had been released.
Syria's civil war has exacerbated tensions between Syria's many religious groups.
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