3 Jordanian drivers freed in Iraq

Three Jordanian truck drivers held hostage in Iraq since last week have been freed and were on their way back home, local newspaper Jordan Times reported Wednesday.

Jordanian embassy in Baghdad informed the Foreign Ministry that the three drivers were released on Tuesday night by their captors and that they were already on their way back to Jordan, an official of the Foreign Ministry was quoted as saying.

The three were identified by the official as Atta Haddad, Mahmoud Abu Zaitoun and Jamal Shneik.

A Jordanian truck company, which employed the three drivers, announced earlier on Tuesday to halt all operations in Iraq in an effort to secure their release.

"I have decided to stop my firm's activity in Iraq to ensure therelease of the three drivers," Abdullah Fadi Al Masalmeh, owner of Al Safa Company was quoted as saying.

The abductor "told me that his group wants the Jordanian government to prevent Jordanian trucks from going to Iraq and demands that my company stop working with Iraq," Masalmeh said.

The three were abducted by gunmen near the Iraqi city of Fallujah on Nov. 2, while a fourth driver was killed when his vehicle overturned as he tried to flee.

More than 20 Jordanians have been kidnapped in Iraq during the recent three months, but most of them were released safely after their employers pulled out of Iraq.

Source: Xinhua