The Syrian government will release 2,130 civilian prisoners on Wednesday in exchange for 48 Iranians held by the armed Syrian opposition, according to Turkish state news agency Anadolu.

Anadolu also said that, according to the head of a Turkish human rights agency that helped arrange the prisoner swap, there were several Turkish prisoners among those being released.

Turkey and Qatar were both involved in mediating the exchange, according to the Turkish news agency.

The Iranians were first captured by Syria's armed opposition last August. Initially, the captives' lives were threatened.

Spokesmen for the Syrian opposition say the prisoners are members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard sent to aid Syrian government forces against the ongoing insurgency.

Tehran, meanwhile, one of the Assad government's closest allies, asserts that the captured Iranians are merely tourists and pilgrims, in Syria to visit Shiite holy places.