Peruvian AFP photographer Jaime Razuri, who was kidnapped last week by a group of Palestinian gunmen outside the AFP office in Gaza, was released unharmed on Sunday evening, Palestinian security sources said.

Razuri had safely arrived at the office of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the west of Gaza City, said the sources, adding that he was in good health.

Razuri himself also indicated that his captors had treated him well. However, his captors' identity remains unclear amidst conflicting reports coming from the troubled reigon.

Some security forces said that a major clan called the Doghmosh Family opposing the ruling Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) was behind the kidnapping, while Tayeb Abdel Rahim, an aide to Abbas, took the opposing position announcing that "faithful members of the Doghmosh Family have helped the security services to secure the release of the journalist."

Doghmosh Clan saw two of its members killed by Hamas during recent factional infighting across the Gaza Strip.

Just on Saturday, a video tape released in the West Bank showed that masked gunmen held hostage a local deputy mayor, affiliated to the ruling Hamas movement, and threatened to kill him should Hamas renew their attacks.

(Xinhua News Agency January 8, 2007)