Lebanese Hostage Freed After Raid
Monday, August 02, 2004
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BAGHDAD, Iraq — A Lebanese hostage was freed unharmed after Iraqi police raided his kidnappers' hideout in an operation that ended with the arrest of three terror suspects, authorities said Monday.
The release Sunday of Lebanese hostage Vladimir Damaa (search) came after a two-hour shootout with militants in Abu Ghraib (search), west of Baghdad, said Lt. Col. Mohammed Salman, of the Interior Ministry's Criminal Intelligence Office.
No one was killed on either side, he said.
The Lebanese Foreign Ministry announced Sunday that Damaa had been released, but details were not revealed until Monday.
Damaa and another Lebanese businessman, Antoine Antoun (search), both from northern Lebanon (search), were snatched by gunmen early Saturday from a Baghdad street. Antoun's fate remains unknown.
Salman credited Iraqi police with freeing Damaa, adding that multinational forces did not assist in the raid.
Coalition officials were not immediately available for comment.
Three insurgents were arrested in the raid, and an unspecified number managed to flee, Salman said.
The Criminal Intelligence Office, established in November, specializes in combatting terrorism, looting, and kidnappings.
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