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.

Defence ministry spokesman Mohammed al-Askari said that an army patrol conducting a search came under fire from the house where Butler was being held. One of the gunmen was wounded in an exchange of fire and another captured while two men escaped, he said.

Butler was later shown on Iraqi state television laughing and greeting rescuers.

“Thank you and I’m looking forward to seeing my family and my friends at CBS and thank you again,” Butler told al-Askari.

He described the soldiers’ performance as “brilliant”.