Egyptian hostage 'freed in Iraq'

An Egyptian engineer working with a telecommunications company who was kidnapped in Iraq last week was freed today, Egypt’s Middle East News Agency reported.

Alaa Muqar was among six Egyptian nationals abducted by gunmen in Iraq on Wednesday and Thursday.

The semi-official agency said two Iraqis also kidnapped with the Egyptians were freed.

It said the five remaining Egyptians would be freed.

It did not say when.