Baghdad: Three Japanese held hostage in Iraq were released today (april 15, 2004) in Baghdad, Sheikh Abdul Salam Kubaissi, an official at the Committee of Muslim Scholars, said.

Earlier, Al-Jazeera television's correspondent in Baghdad reported that volunteer workers Noriaki Imai, 18, Nahoko Takato, 34, and photojournalist Soichiro Koriyama, 32, were taken to the Committee's office there and were in "good health".

"The three have been released," said Kubaissi, confirming that they were at the headquarters of the Committee at the Um al-Qura mosque in West Baghdad.

"They are in very good health," he added.

Al-Jazeera later showed footage of the trio chatting with a member of the Committee.