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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Turkish hostages held by IS in Iraq released | Turkish hostages held by IS in Iraq released |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Dozens of Turkish hostages seized by Islamic State (IS) in the north Iraqi city of Mosul in June are now back in Turkey, PM Ahmet Davutoglu says. | |
| The 49 hostages included diplomats and their families as well as soldiers. | |
| They were seized from Turkey's consulate after IS militants seized Mosul in a rapid advance in June. | They were seized from Turkey's consulate after IS militants seized Mosul in a rapid advance in June. |
| Turkey has refused direct involvement in the military campaign against IS partly because of fears over the hostages' safety. | Turkey has refused direct involvement in the military campaign against IS partly because of fears over the hostages' safety. |
| Mr Davutoglu said that the hostages were all in good health and that they were released early on Saturday. | |
| They were being taken to the southern Turkish city of Sanliurfa by the Turkish intelligence agency, he added. | |
| "From my heart, I thank the families who maintained their dignity" he said on Twitter. | |
| Mr Davutoglu will cut short a visit to Azerbaijan to meet the released hostages. | |
| IS has seized large areas of Iraq and Syria. Estimates say the group could have up to 30,000 fighters. | IS has seized large areas of Iraq and Syria. Estimates say the group could have up to 30,000 fighters. |
| The US has carried out more than 170 air strikes against the jihadist group in Iraq since mid-August. | |
| French jets carried out their first strikes on Friday, hitting an IS depot in north-eastern Iraq. |