The Lebanese army and Syria's al-Nusra Front have conducted a long-awaited prisoner swap outside Lebanon's border town of Arsal, where a group of Lebanese soldiers were kidnapped last year.

The deal, brokered by Qatari mediators, entailed the release by al-Nusra Front of 16 Lebanese security officers - soldiers and policemen - in exchange for 13 prisoners, including five women, held by the Lebanese.

On Tuesday staff of the Lebanese Red Cross were present at the site of the exchange alongside the Lebanese army soldiers as al-Nusra Front fighters, sitting on the back of vehicles, celebrated the deal by waving the group's flags.

Descending in a convoy of SUVs from Arsal, the freed soldiers greeted relatives in Lebanon's Council of Ministers in downtown Beirut.

Surrounded by Lebanese officials, including the prime minister, the head of General Security, the justice minister, and the Qatari ambassador, the freed military officials were carried on the shoulders of the crowds, as rice and flowers were thrown over them.

One of the freed soldiers told Al Jazeera: "We would like to thank al-Nusra Front for releasing us. We would like to thank everyone who took part in the negotiations that led to our release."

At the initial stage of the exchange, al-Nusra Front handed over the body of Mohammed Hamieh, one of two soldiers killed by its fighters.

The 16 Lebanese security officers - plus two soldiers who were killed in captivity - were kidnapped by al-Nusra Front during deadly clashes in August 2014 in Arsal.

The prisoner exchange followed months of negotiations.

PHOTO CAPTION

A convoy of Red Cross vehicles carrying the newly released Lebanese soldiers and policemen who were captured by AL Nusra Front in Arsal, is seen leaving the border town of Arsal, in eastern Bekaa Valley December 1, 2015

Al-Jazeera