Saturday, January 22 2005 16:47 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Beijing: Eight Chinese hostages held by Iraqi insurgents have been released, the Chinese State-run media reported today (Jan 22, 2005).

The Chinese embassy in Iraq today confirmed that the eight Chinese hostages held by Iraqi insurgents since Tuesday (Jan 18, 2005) had been released, Xinhua news agency reported from Baghdad.

"The eight Chinese were freed and handed to the Committee of Muslim Scholars," it quoted Al-Arabia station as saying, citing a statement by their captors.

Meanwhile, Al-Jazeera TV also reported that the Chinese hostages had been released by the armed group.

The eight Chinese, aged between 18 and 40 and identified as citizens from Pingtan County, east China's Fujian Province, went to seek jobs in Iraq.

They were abducted en route to Jordan by gunmen from the Islamic Resistance Nu'man Brigade, according to videotape released by the group on Tuesday.

The Chinese Government has been making every effort it can to secure the release of the eight Chinese workers.

Last night, the Chinese Foreign Ministry had issued another appeal to the kidnappers, urging them to release the eight, stressing that the Chinese Government always supported the Iraqi people in their cause.

This is the second time that Chinese citizens have been kidnapped in Iraq. Last April, seven Chinese nationals were kidnapped.

However, they were released soon after prominent Muslim clerics intervened on behalf of Beijing.