BAGHDAD: British-led forces rescued three peace activists from captivity on Thursday after finding them tied up in a house in western Baghdad, two weeks after their American colleague was killed.
The Canadians and a Briton, seized in November, were alone in the house. No shots were fired in the operation, which was swiftly mounted after a suspect detained on Wednesday night revealed their location, a US general in Baghdad said.
"It's great to be free," Briton Norman Kember, 74, said after British and other forces freed him and Canadian fellow-hostages Jim Loney, 41, and Harmeet Sooden, 32, who is of Indian origin.
The tortured body of another activist, American Tom Fox, was found dumped in the capital two weeks ago.
A British embassy official said the three men were in "good shape" in the embassy. Kember was "happy and relaxing."
US military spokesman Major General Rick Lynch said two people had been detained during an operation on Wednesday night, one of whom then gave crucial information that led to the raid being mounted at 8 am.
"It was three hours between when we got the information and when we released the hostages," Lynch said.
