Hamill on his way home

American hostage Thomas Hamill, who escaped from his Iraqi captors yesterday, has left the country en route to Germany. From there, he will travel home to the US.

Hamill 43, prised open the doors of the house where he was being held yesterday and ran half a mile to a military convoy that was passing by near the town of Balad, north of Baghdad.

The US official said Hamill would have a medical check-up at a military hospital at Landstuhl, Germany before flying to the United States.

The civilian truck driver was captured on April 9 by gunmen who attacked his convoy on the outskirts of Baghdad.