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| Version 12 | Version 13 |
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| UK reporter freed in Afghan raid | UK reporter freed in Afghan raid |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| A UK journalist abducted in Afghanistan has been freed by Nato troops in a dramatic pre-dawn raid. | A UK journalist abducted in Afghanistan has been freed by Nato troops in a dramatic pre-dawn raid. |
| New York Times reporter Stephen Farrell was kidnapped on Saturday along with Afghan interpreter Sultan Munadi while investigating a Nato air strike. | New York Times reporter Stephen Farrell was kidnapped on Saturday along with Afghan interpreter Sultan Munadi while investigating a Nato air strike. |
| Mr Munadi - a father of two - was killed during the rescue operation. | Mr Munadi - a father of two - was killed during the rescue operation. |
| Farrell, who holds dual British-Irish nationality, said he was "extracted" by "a lot of soldiers" after a fierce firefight, the New York Times reports. | Farrell, who holds dual British-Irish nationality, said he was "extracted" by "a lot of soldiers" after a fierce firefight, the New York Times reports. |
| Special forces? | Special forces? |
| Farrell, 46, had travelled to Kunduz in northern Afghanistan to investigate an air strike last Friday on two hijacked fuel tankers, in which dozens of civilians reportedly died. | Farrell, 46, had travelled to Kunduz in northern Afghanistan to investigate an air strike last Friday on two hijacked fuel tankers, in which dozens of civilians reportedly died. |
| The Talibs all ran, it was obviously a raid, we thought they would kill us, there were bullets all around Stephen Farrell Who are the Taliban? Farrell 'kidnapped' in Iraq | The Talibs all ran, it was obviously a raid, we thought they would kill us, there were bullets all around Stephen Farrell Who are the Taliban? Farrell 'kidnapped' in Iraq |
| It is not the first time Farrell has been abducted while on assignment - in 2004 he was kidnapped in the Iraqi city of Falluja while working for the London Times newspaper. | It is not the first time Farrell has been abducted while on assignment - in 2004 he was kidnapped in the Iraqi city of Falluja while working for the London Times newspaper. |
| The New York Times website reported he phoned the foreign editor of the newspaper at about 0030 BST (2330 GMT) and said: "I'm out! I'm free." Farrell said he also called his wife. | The New York Times website reported he phoned the foreign editor of the newspaper at about 0030 BST (2330 GMT) and said: "I'm out! I'm free." Farrell said he also called his wife. |
| In a second telephone call to his newspaper, he said he and his captors had heard helicopters approach before the rescue. | In a second telephone call to his newspaper, he said he and his captors had heard helicopters approach before the rescue. |
| "We were all in a room, the Talibs all ran, it was obviously a raid," Farrell told the New York Times. "We thought they would kill us. We thought should we go out." | "We were all in a room, the Talibs all ran, it was obviously a raid," Farrell told the New York Times. "We thought they would kill us. We thought should we go out." |
| 'British voices' | |
| The reporter said he ran outside with his interpreter, who AFP news agency reports was a 34-year-old man working in Afghanistan while on a break from university studies in Germany. | The reporter said he ran outside with his interpreter, who AFP news agency reports was a 34-year-old man working in Afghanistan while on a break from university studies in Germany. |
| "There were bullets all around us. I could hear British and Afghan voices," Farrell continued. | "There were bullets all around us. I could hear British and Afghan voices," Farrell continued. |
| He said Mr Munadi - a reporter who was working as a translator - advanced shouting: "Journalist! Journalist!" But the translator was shot and collapsed. | |
| Some reports from Afghanistan suggest that British special forces were involved in the rescue. | Some reports from Afghanistan suggest that British special forces were involved in the rescue. |
| But a UK defence ministry spokeswoman told the BBC: "It was a Nato operation, we do not comment on special forces." | But a UK defence ministry spokeswoman told the BBC: "It was a Nato operation, we do not comment on special forces." |
| Farrell said he did not know whether the shots had been fired by their rescuers or the militants. | Farrell said he did not know whether the shots had been fired by their rescuers or the militants. |
| The correspondent said he dived into a ditch and after a minute or two, shouted: "British hostage!" | The correspondent said he dived into a ditch and after a minute or two, shouted: "British hostage!" |
| Farrell then heard British voices telling him to come over and as he did, saw the body of Mr Munadi. | Farrell then heard British voices telling him to come over and as he did, saw the body of Mr Munadi. |
| 'Taliban is coming!' | 'Taliban is coming!' |
| Bill Keller, the executive editor of the New York Times, said: "We're overjoyed that Steve is free, but deeply saddened that his freedom came at such a cost." | Bill Keller, the executive editor of the New York Times, said: "We're overjoyed that Steve is free, but deeply saddened that his freedom came at such a cost." |
| Up to 70 civilians were killed in the Kunduz air strike, reports say | Up to 70 civilians were killed in the Kunduz air strike, reports say |
| The two were kidnapped in the Kunduz area on Saturday while investigating the Nato air strike of a day earlier that unconfirmed reports say left some 70 civilians dead. | |
| German commanders had called in a US jet to bomb two hijacked fuel tankers, and the New York Times team was in the area to cover the story. | German commanders had called in a US jet to bomb two hijacked fuel tankers, and the New York Times team was in the area to cover the story. |
| Their driver, who escaped the kidnapping, told the newspaper they had been interviewing villagers about the bombing at the site of the burned-out fuel tankers. | Their driver, who escaped the kidnapping, told the newspaper they had been interviewing villagers about the bombing at the site of the burned-out fuel tankers. |
| An old man approached the visitors and warned them twice to leave. Then gunfire rang out and people started shouting: "The Taliban is coming!" | An old man approached the visitors and warned them twice to leave. Then gunfire rang out and people started shouting: "The Taliban is coming!" |
| The driver said he ran away across fields after seeing a group of about 10 armed militants running toward them. | The driver said he ran away across fields after seeing a group of about 10 armed militants running toward them. |
| Farrell is the second New York Times journalist to be kidnapped in Afghanistan in a year. | Farrell is the second New York Times journalist to be kidnapped in Afghanistan in a year. |
| In June, Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter David Rohde and his Afghan colleague were abducted in the Afghan capital, Kabul, and moved across the border to Pakistan from where they escaped. | In June, Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter David Rohde and his Afghan colleague were abducted in the Afghan capital, Kabul, and moved across the border to Pakistan from where they escaped. |