Some 70 hostages kidnapped at a building of the Higher Education Ministry on Tuesday have been freed, a ministry spokesman said on Wednesday.

Basil al-Khatib told media that 32 victims of the mass kidnapping were released on Wednesday afternoon.

"Since yesterday 27 employees have been released as well as some others. The total was 40 and now we have additional 32," he said.

Meanwhile, the Higher Education Minister, Abed Thiyab al-Ajili, announced he had suspended participation in the government until all the hostages were released.

"I have suspended my participation as a minister with the government until those people who have been kidnapped are released," he said.

Media reports gave conflicting figures of the hostages number who were snatched from the ministry's building in central Baghdad.

The minister said Tuesday that the number of hostages was more than 100, including male employees and visitors.

However, an Interior Ministry official told Xinhua on Wednesday that the number of hostages in the hands of the kidnappers was exaggerated.

"About 20 out of some 45 hostages have been released until midnight, including the deputy director of the ministry's Research Directorate," the official said on condition of anonymity.

"Actually, we have received 12 freed hostages and we knew that around eight others went to their homes immediately," he added.

(Xinhua News Agency November 16, 2006)