Kidnappers have released Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi's cousin after taking him hostage for 12 days, the Arabic-language al-Arabiya TV channel reported Sunday.

The channel quoted a statement by Allawi's office as saying that Ghazi Allawi, a first cousin of Allawi, arrived home well and sound. There was no negotiation, the statement said, without giving more details.

Ghazi Allawi was kidnapped along with two female family members on Nov. 9, one day after the prime minister announced an all-out assault on the rebel-held city of Fallujah.

A group known as Ansar al-Jihad (Partisans of Holy War) claimed the responsibility for the abduction and threatened to behead the three if Allawi fails to meet its demands in 48 hours.

But later the kidnappers freed the two women after the captives'relatives pleaded on television for their release and said that oneof the two were pregnant. The militant group said that the two werereleased at the end of the holy month of Ramadan.

Allawi has said that his government would not bow to threats made by "any terrorist group" and he was resolute to retake cities held by insurgents.