A reporter, a photographer and a camera crew member of the Joint Media Team Malaysia (JMTM) were freed Saturday and were in hospital in Baghdad, JMTM coordinator Zukri Valenteno Ali was quoted as saying by the Bernama news agency.

Acting Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi announced early Sunday that the three had been kidnapped by unidentified gunmen in an ambush. He gave no details about the circumstances of the incident.

He said the kidnapped journalists were New Straits Times photographer Anuar Hashim, Radio Televisyen Malaysia camera crew member Omar Salleh and The Sun reporter Terence Fernandez.

Two doctors were injured and an Iraqi interpreter was killed in the attack.

The Malaysian government has paid for some 30 local journalists to cover the war in Iraq because of the perceived bias of Western media.

SPACE.WIRE