The eight Chinese hostages freed in Iraq will leave for China as soon as exact air ticketing arrangements have been made, an official with the Foreign Ministry said Monday.

Li Huaxin, deputy director of the ministry's Department of West Asian and North African Affairs, said the exact date is dependent upon the booking of air tickets and the choice of a route, which "is not yet decided."

"Anyway, we will send them home safely as soon as possible," he said.

According to the booking office of Air China in Beijing, the company does not have a direct flight from Beijing to Baghdad, the Iraqi capital. It only offers a flight from Beijing to Kuwait via Karachi in Pakistan, which departs each Thursday.

The release of the men, all migrant workers seized last Tuesday on their way from Iraq to Jordan, was announced Saturday but the Chinese Embassy in Iraq was not able to make contact with them until late Sunday.

They were handed over to an Embassy representative at a mosque in the western city of Ramadi, reported Xinhua, citing Iraqi sources.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan said the men are safe and sound, and the embassy would send them home at an early date.

Seen from the picture taken by the Xinhua News Agency, they appeared in good health as they were escorted by Chinese embassy officials.

Kong expressed appreciation to all sides who made efforts in their release. He said Chinese leaders showed grave concern about the safety of the hostages and the Chinese Foreign Affairs Ministry, the Chinese Embassy in Iraq and embassies in neighboring countries took all necessary measures and efforts through various channels.

Kong said China supports the Iraq reconstruction process and is willing to join hands with the international community in an efforts to restore peace and stability there.

He again warned Chinese nationals against travelling to Iraq.

Deputy President of the Iraqi interim government Rowsch Nuri Shaways, who finished his six-day visit in China yesterday, said he was "very delighted" to hear the news of the release of the eight on Saturday, according to Xinhua.

Al-Zarqawi's aides

In Baghdad, the Iraqi Interim Government yesterday announced the capture of two aides of Jordanian-born militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

One of the captured, Sami Mohammad Said al-Jaf, also known as Abu Omar al-Kurdi, was said to be plotting attacks set for January 30 or election day, and was involved in the 2003 bombing of the United Nations Baghdad headquarters.

(China Daily January 25, 2005)