Spanish reporter freed from Syria is relieved and grateful

In this photo made available by Presidencia del Gobierno on Sunday, May 8, 2016, Spanish journalists Jose Manuel Lopez and Angel Sastre, front, arrive at the Torrejon military airbase in Madrid, Spain. Three Spanish journalists who went missing while working in Syria in July were freed from captivity, the Spanish government said on Saturday. Antonio Pampliega, Jose Manuel Lopez and Angel Sastre disappeared near the city of Aleppo in northern Syria on July 12. (Pool Moncloa via AP) (The Associated Press)

In this photo made available by Presidencia del Gobierno on Sunday, May 8, 2016, the three freed Spanish journalists Antonio Pampliega, background, Jose Manuel Lopez and Angel Sastre, right, arrive at the Torrejon military airbase in Madrid, Spain. Three Spanish journalists who went missing while working in Syria in July were freed from captivity, the Spanish government said on Saturday. Antonio Pampliega, Jose Manuel Lopez and Angel Sastre disappeared near the city of Aleppo in northern Syria on July 12. (Pool Moncloa via AP) (The Associated Press)

In this photo made available by Presidencia del Gobierno on Sunday, May 8, 2016, Spanish journalist Antonio Pampliega, left, arrives at the Torrejon military airbase in Madrid, Spain. Three Spanish journalists who went missing while working in Syria in July were freed from captivity, the Spanish government said on Saturday. Antonio Pampliega, Jose Manuel Lopez and Angel Sastre disappeared near the city of Aleppo in northern Syria on July 12. (Pool Moncloa via AP) (The Associated Press)

One of the three Spanish freelance journalists released after nearly 10 months of captivity in Syria says he feels like he is "walking on air" after being reunited with his family in Spain.

Angel Sastre told Onda Cero radio station Monday he is grateful for the government's efforts to secure the men's release but gave no details about how they came home.

The three went missing on July 12 near the city of Aleppo in northern Syria.

Also Monday, acting Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo told Antena 3 radio it was "a big relief" when officials discovered that the men were taken by the Nusra Front, al-Qaida's branch in Syria, and not the Islamic State group which commonly kills captives.

Garcia-Margallo also thanked Turkey and Qatar for their help.