Baghdad: Two Japanese held hostage in Iraq were released by the captors today (April 17, 2004) and turned over to an association of Sunni Muslim scholars hours after a detained US soldier was paraded on an Arabic satellite channel.

"The two were released, they are next to me," Sheikh Abdul Salam Kubaissi, an official at the Committee of Muslim Scholars, said. "They are in very good health."

Freelance journalist Junpei Yasuda, 30, and peace activist Nobutaka Watanabe, 36, had disappeared on April 14 but their "likely" kidnapping was only confirmed by the Japanese Government earlier today.

Kubaissi said a representative from the Japanese Embassy was present at the handover at the headquarters of the Committee in West Baghdad.

In Tokyo, the Japanese Government has confirmed the release, Kyodo News and Jiji Press Agencies reported. News of the release was relayed immediately to Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, Jiji said.

Watanabe, 36, told the Japan Broadcasting Corp after his release that his captors had a message for the Japanese people.

"The armed group is very angry at the US military occupation of Iraq but Japan is Iraq's friend," an NHK reporter quoted Watanabe as saying in a broadcast seen in Tokyo.

"We don't want to harm our friends. Please tell this to the people of Japan," the group said, adding however that Japan should also withdraw its some 550 troops from Iraq. The Tokyo Government has rejected the demand.