Italians embrace freed hostages

The hostages were questioned by military officials on their return

Three Italians kidnapped in Iraq almost two months ago have returned home to Italy after being rescued in a mission by military special forces.

Family members, friends and government ministers were at Rome's military airport for the emotional homecoming.

They spent an hour with their families before being taken for interviews with military prosecutors about their ordeal and the death of a fellow hostage.

Italian Fabrizio Quattrocchi was shot dead by his captors.

Mr Quattrocchi, 36, and the other hostages - Salvatore Stefio, 34, Umberto Cupertino 35, and Maurizio Agliana, 37, - had all been working as private security guards for a US firm.

They were captured on 12 April and a short time later Mr Quattrocchi's killing was videotaped by his captors.

'No negotiation'

Scenes of joy greeted the return of the three surviving hostages at Ciampino airport on Wednesday.

Family members raced to hug the men and Mr Stefio's father, clutching an Italian flag, got down on his knees as he welcomed his son.

Mr Agliana shouted: "We're home, we're home."

Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said the release of the Italian hostages was a "happy conclusion".

"I cannot but be happy because we have carried out the right choice and we have chosen the right strategy - on one side utmost secrecy and on the other no negotiation with the terrorists," he said.

Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said the hostages were released in a joint operation in southern Baghdad by Italian and other forces using "detailed intelligence".

The US military commander in Iraq, Ricardo Sanchez, said some of the kidnappers had been captured.

The three Italians were last seen on a tape dated 31 May and shown on 2 June.

Demands

An Iraqi armed group calling itself the Green Brigade has said it was behind the abductions.

The group had demanded the withdrawal of the 3,000-strong Italian contingent from Iraq - something Mr Berlusconi and the parliament rejected.

They also threatened to kill the hostages if the Italian people failed to demonstrate against the occupation of Iraq.

An alleged statement by the group read out on Arabic TV in early May said the demand had been satisfied and the hostages would not be harmed.

The Polish man, contractor Jerzy Kos, was kidnapped with a colleague on 1 June outside their offices near Baghdad, but the other man escaped almost immediately.