Iraqi troops rescue kidnapped British journalist

IRAQI troops rescued a British journalist for CBS News in the southern city of Basra yesterday, two months after he was kidnapped, the Iraqi military said.

The dramatic rescue came on a day that saw 13 people killed and nearly 20 wounded in two bombings in northern Iraq.

Richard Butler was in good condition when he was found inside a house with a sack over his head and his hands tied, Lt Gen Mohan al-Fireji said. The discovery came during an Iraqi military sweep in the Jibiliya area, a Shi’ite militia stronghold in Basra, 550km south-east of Baghdad.