Three Turkish men taken hostage in Iraq three days ago were released on Tuesday, Qatar-based al-Jazeera TV news channel reported.

A group led by suspected al-Qaeda operative Abu Musab al-Zarqawi has freed the Turkish hostages whom the group had threatened to behead, al-Jazeera said.

A masked man said on a video recording aired by al-Jazeera that "Jama'at al-Tawhid and Jihad announces the release of the Turkish hostages for the sake of Muslims in Turkey and their demonstrations against (US President George W.) Bush."  

(Xinhua News Agency June 30, 2004)