Wednesday, December 22 2004 10:01 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Paris: Two French journalists held hostage in Iraq for the past four months were freed today (Dec 21, 2004), officials said, sparking jubilation among relatives who called it "the most beautiful Christmas present ever."

Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin informed the French Senate "with deep joy" that the two, Christian Chesnot of Radio France Internationale and Georges Malbrunot of Le Figaro newspaper, had been released.

The Iraqi insurgency group that had been holding the pair, the Islamic Army in Iraq, said it had freed the reporters because of France's stand against the US-led war in Iraq and its support for Palestinian statehood, the Arabic television station Al-Jazeera reported.

The brother of one of the reporters, Thierry Chesnot, said the two would be brought to Paris tomorrow (Dec 22, 2004).

"This is a huge relief. It's a wonderful Christmas present," he told sources, adding that Raffarin's office had indicated the pair were "in good health."

Malbrunot's mother, Andree Malbrunot, echoed that, telling sources from her home in Lyon that "this is the most beautiful Christmas present ever."

Chesnot and Malbrunot -- the longest-held Western hostages in Iraq -- were seized on a road south of Baghdad on August 20.

Several other hostages taken during the Iraqi insurgency have been killed by their captors.

A French Foreign Ministry spokesman said: "They have been freed. They have been handed over to French authorities. They will return (to Paris) Wednesday."