Tajik hostage deal

An armed opposition group in Tajikistan has released five hostages after the authorities granted the group's demand for the release of three of their colleagues.

The freed hostages included the deputy-mayor of the Tajik capital, Dushanbe.

First reports said there were ten hostages but officials later said there were only five.

The opposition group, led by Rakhmon Sanginov, took the officials hostage in Dushanbe earlier today Saturday after three members of the group were detained last Wednesday on suspicion of illegally carrying arms in the capital, Dushanbe.

The detained men were exchanged for the hostages under a deal worked out by the joint Government-Opposition National Reconcilation Commission.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service