Iraqi officials report that the three Americans who were abducted in Baghdad last month have been freed. The Associated Press, which first reported the development, cited three officials who spoke on condition of anonymity, as saying that the three Americans were freed by the Iraqi intelligence service.
They added that the three are in good health are in the custody of the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. Media has reached out to the embassy to get an official statement, but it couldn't be reached for comment.
The freeing of the hostages puts an end to the abduction case which was first reported in January. On Jan. 17, news broke via the Arab news channel, al-Arabiya, that three Americans had been abducted by militants in Baghdad as they were en route to the Baghdad Airport.
The account was soon corroborated by the local embassy and State Department spokesperson John Kirby who said: "We are aware of reports that American citizens are missing in Iraq. The safety and security of American citizens overseas is our highest priority We are working with the full cooperation of the Iraqi authorities to locate and recover the individuals. Due to privacy considerations, I have nothing further," according to Fox News.
The location of the abduction soon changed however, with a security official saying the next day that the three were kidnapped from a "suspicious apartment," which was later revealed to be a brothel, according to AFP.
Even though the three have been rescued its still unclear who was responsible for the abductions. As things stand, Iraqi and Western officials say they suspect one of two powerful militias was behind the incident.
