Canadian hostages heading home

Mr Sooden and Mr Loney will continue campaigning, CPT says

Two Canadian peace activists held hostage for almost four months in Iraq are due to leave Baghdad as they begin their journey home.

Harmeet Singh Sooden, 32, and James Loney, 41, were released along with Briton Norman Kember, 74.

They were freed from a house west of Baghdad by multinational forces.

Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT), the group the men were campaigning for, said all three were still committed to working for peace in Iraq.

They are concerned for justice for all different ethnic groups here Peggy Gish CPT

The CPT's Peggy Gish, who met with the men in Iraq on Friday - Mr Sooden's 33rd birthday - said: "I don't know if it will be here, or if it will be in another country but they are still very concerned.

"They are concerned for justice for all different ethnic groups here."

All were unharmed during their captivity, she added.

Mr Loney and Mr Sooden were due to arrive in Dubai at 1730 local time on Saturday. Mr Loney was then due to travel on to Toronto, Canada, while Mr Sooden was heading to Auckland, New Zealand where he is attending teacher's college.

Mr Kember spent Friday night in Kuwait flew to Heathrow Airport in London on Saturday.

The rescue followed a weeks-long operation by British troops and US and Canadian special forces.

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said the Canadian special forces were only in Iraq temporarily to carry out the rescue.

US citizen Tom Fox, kidnapped at the same time on 26 November in Baghdad, was found shot dead earlier this month.