Marcin Firlej of TVN24 told the 24-hour television station he had managed to escape with his colleague from Polish public radio Jacek Kaczmarek "with the help of a teacher at the local school during fighting in Nadjafin."

TVN24 showed footage on Tuesday of the two men being asked to get out of their car at a chekpoint and made to crouch at the side of the road with their arms over their heads by the Iraqi forces.

The two journalists were then interrogated in a local school.

Firlej said the two journalists had been "well treated, except for the first few moments."

Two other TVN joiurnalists had fled the scene on Monday and alerted US troops, prompting a search for the men.

As fighting started in the area a local school teacher, who brought the two journalists food and drink, gave them the keys of their car allowing them to escape into the arms of US troops, Firleh said.

SPACE.WIRE