They said "multinational forces" and "UK troops had played a prominent role". This has SAS written all over it.
Apparently though there were no shots fired as the captors were not present at the time.
In the news: hostage rescue
Thu, 23/03/2006 - 11:52
#1
In the news: hostage rescue
yes it does James..
Our boys in black do it again.....
WHO DARES WINS
Lt_Col WIZ, VC, MiD (Ret)
Wiz that link doesn't seem to work.
ok ill copy/paste.....
British Hostage Freed in Special Forces Raid
Special forces have freed British hostage Norman Kember and his two peace activist colleagues in Iraq, ending their 118-day ordeal.
Mr Kember said: "It's great to be free. I am looking forward to getting back to the UK."
The US military in Baghdad said the breakthrough came after information was provided by a suspect captured just hours earlier.
The three were tied up when they were found to the north-west of Baghdad. But there was no sign of the kidnappers and no shots were fired during the operation.
Mr Kember, 74, was in "reasonable condition" and was recovering at the British embassy in the high security Green Zone in Baghdad
His two younger Canadian colleagues needed hospital treatment but Mr Kember was said to have been unharmed in the operation, during which no shots were fired.
His brother Ian Kember said: "This has been the news we have been waiting for for a long time."
A spokesman for the British Embassy in Baghdad said of Mr Kember: "He is smiling and he is happy. He is relaxing with British officials in the embassy."
His wife Pat was said to be "elated''.
Defence Secretary John Reid said British troops had "spearheaded'' the rescue operation.
He said: "Above all, today is a day to express our pride in the courage and determination of British Armed Forces who so often in such difficulties circumstances risk their own lives so that other people are protected."
There was no immediate confirmation of claims that the men were being held by a criminal gang.The early morning operation took place in a rural area north-west of Baghdad, between the towns of Mishahda, 20 miles north of Baghdad, and the western suburb of Abu Ghraib, 12 miles from the city centre.
Mr Kember, a retired professor, was seized with three colleagues during a peace mission to Baghdad on November 26.
Three days later video footage of them was released by a previously unknown group calling itself the Swords of Righteousness Brigade which accused the hostages of being spies.
Mr Kember, a grandfather and former medical physicist at a teaching hospital, from Pinner, north west London, was visiting the country with Christian Peacemaker Teams, a Canada-based international peace group.
The other men were Canadians James Loney, 41, Harmeet Singh Sooden, 32, and an American, Tom Fox, 54.
Mr Fox was found shot dead in Baghdad earlier this month in the affluent Mansour district. There were signs that he had been beaten before being killed.
Source: AOL news
Lt_Col WIZ, VC, MiD (Ret)
Glad they are safe.