Nine Lebanese pilgrims who were abducted in Syria's Aleppo last year have been released and are on their way back to Lebanon, the LBCI TV reported Saturday.

It said that the nine people who were freed on Friday evening are on their way back to Lebanon accompanied by Security Director General Abbas Ibrahim.

Syrian rebels kidnapped 11 Lebanese pilgrims in Syria's Aleppo in May 2012 while returning from a religious trip to the holy sites in Iran. Two of the pilgrims were released shortly after the abduction.

Meanwhile, the TV reported that Lebanon's caretaker interior minister had arrived at Rafic Hariri international airport to receive the Lebanese pilgrims who are expected to arrive in Beirut in the evening.

The Lebanese State TV also reported that two Turkish pilots, who were abducted in Beirut following the capture of Lebanese pilgrims, were released.

The pilots were abducted by an unknown group, which said it had seized them to secure the release of the nine Lebanese nationals held captive in Syria. The group called on Turkey to use its influence on Syrian rebels to broker the release of the nine Lebanese.