Insurgents in Iraq released eight Chinese labourers they had taken hostage and threatened to kill, as guerrillas attacked more Shiite targets ahead of Jan. 30 elections. A video tape produced by the insurgents and seen by Reuters correspondents showed the Chinese standing or kneeling in two rows in the desert, holding their passports open for the camera. A man with his face covered by a traditional chequered headdress then shook hands with each of the hostages before they walked off camera. China's embassy in Baghdad later confirmed the eight had been released, China's official Xinhua news agency said. On Tuesday, the guerrilla group holding the men said it would kill them within 48 hours unless Beijing -- which opposed the war in Iraq -- explained why they were in the country.
Guerrillas fighting US-led troops and Iraq's American-backed government have kidnapped more than 100 foreigners over the past year. Around a third have been killed. They are also waging a campaign of suicide attacks and ambushes ahead of Iraq's Jan. 30 elections, targeting Iraqi security forces, Shiite groups and election officials. |