Baghdad: Iraqi troops freed a kidnapped British journalist after finding him hooded and bound in a house during a raid in a Shiite militia stronghold in Basra.

Richard Butler's rescue after two months in captivity was a welcome success story for the Iraqi military, which has been heavily criticized for its effort to pacify the southern oil hub.

It came on a day in which at least 37 people were killed or found dead nationwide half of them in bombings near the northwestern city of Mosul.

Two US soldiers also were killed yesterday by separate roadside bombings in Baghdad and to the north of the capital, the military said, raising to at least 4,034 the number of American military members who have died since the war started in March 2003.

Flanked by beaming Iraqi officials, Butler, who worked for the US television network CBS News, described the soldiers performance as "brilliant".

Defence Ministry spokesman Mohammed al-Askari said the troops weren't looking for Butler but an army patrol conducting a sweep of the area responded after coming under fire from the house where he was being held in the Jibiliya neighborhood.

One of the gunmen was wounded in an exchange of fire and another captured while two men managed to escape, he said.

Butler was thin but in good condition and laughing as he was shown on Iraqi state television hugging well-wishers and greeting officials.

"Thank you, and I'm looking forward to seeing my family and my friends at CBS, and thank you again," Butler said. When asked by al-Askari if the Iraqi army was good, he said it was "brilliant".

Source : PTI