Italy rejoices as two aid workers freed after three weeks in captivity

TWO Italian women aid workers freed in Iraq after being held hostage for three weeks arrived home late last night, as the entire nation celebrated their safe release.

Four kidnapped Egyptians were also freed in Baghdad yesterday.

The two Italians, Simona Pari and Simona Torretta, arrived on a Falcon 20 plane at Ciampino military airport in Rome shortly after 11pm (10pm Irish time).

They were kidnapped in Baghdad on September 7.

Earlier yesterday, Prime Minsiter Silvio Berlusconi had announced their release. Mr Berlusconi, who had announced the release of the two workers earlier yesterday, was at the airport to welcome the women, along with relatives, friends and colleagues.

The landing was shown live on most Italian TV channels.

The two Italians, both 29, were handed over to the Red Cross with two Iraqis who were abducted with them in Baghdad on September 7.

The Arab television network al-Jazeera showed footage of the handover on an Iraqi road at dusk.

Both women stripped away the head coverings they were wearing - full black veils that revealed only their eyes - and smiled broadly.

Ms Torretta spoke in Arabic, saying, “Thank you very much. Goodbye. Thank you.” Ms Pari remained silent.

Their release leaves three other kidnapped Westerners still in captivity - 62-year-old Mr Bigley, from Liverpool, and two French journalists.

Mr Bigley’s Thai wife yesterday said she would become a Buddhist nun for three days if it would help gain his release. A delegation of British Muslims who travelled to Iraq to press for the release of hostage Mr Bigley said yesterday they were confident the engineer was still alive.

Dr Daud Abdullah and Dr Musharraf Hussain left for Iraq on Friday and returned to Britain yesterday.

Earlier, British Prime Minister Tony Blair expressed “support and solidarity” for Mr Bigley as he opened a keynote address at the Labour Party conference in Brighton.