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US releases five Iranians in Iraq | |
(about 6 hours later) | |
Five Iranian officials held by the US military in Iraq since January 2007 have been freed. | |
A spokesperson for Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki confirmed the five, said by Iran to be diplomats, had been handed over to Iraqi officials. | |
US forces seized the five in the northern city of Irbil on suspicion of arming and funding Shia militias. | |
Tehran's ambassador to Baghdad, Hassan Kazemi-Qomi, said they were expected soon at the Iranian embassy. | |
The Fars news agency quoted him as saying the five "kidnapped by American occupying forces have been handed over to Iraq's prime minister". | |
'Private matter' | |
Yasin Majeed, a media advisor for Iraq's premier, confirmed the Iraqi side had received the five. | |
The US military said it could not confirm the releases. | |
"Transfers and releases are a private matter between [the US military] and the government of Iraq," Capt Brad Kimberly said in an E-mail to Reuters news agency. | |
Under a key security agreement with the Baghdad government, the US military, which holds thousands of people in jails in Iraq, is obligated to hand all detainees to Iraqi control. | |
After the arrests, Washington said the five Iranians had no diplomatic status, but Tehran accused the US of breaching international diplomatic regulations. | After the arrests, Washington said the five Iranians had no diplomatic status, but Tehran accused the US of breaching international diplomatic regulations. |
The Iraqi authorities said at the time the five Iranians had been in Irbil with official approval, but that their office had not yet been granted full consulate status. | The Iraqi authorities said at the time the five Iranians had been in Irbil with official approval, but that their office had not yet been granted full consulate status. |
US authorities had said the five included a senior member of Iran's Quds Force, an elite unit of the Revolutionary Guards. | US authorities had said the five included a senior member of Iran's Quds Force, an elite unit of the Revolutionary Guards. |
Washington accused the force of helping arm and train some Iraqi militants, a claim Tehran denies. | |
The former US military commander in Iraq, Gen David Petraeus, once accused Mr Kazemi-Qomi of belonging to the Quds Force. | The former US military commander in Iraq, Gen David Petraeus, once accused Mr Kazemi-Qomi of belonging to the Quds Force. |