Iraq Promises to Free Captured Iranians

Iran envoy: Iraq to free captured Iranians

QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA
Associated Press

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Iran's ambassador said Thursday that Iraq's foreign minister promised him that Iranians captured by U.S. troops in north of the country last week will be freed "within days," adding that their detention was an insult to the Iraqi government and people.

It was the first public comment by an Iranian diplomat in Baghdad about last week's U.S. raid on a liaison office in the northern city of Irbil and the capture of six Iranians.

One of the six was released and U.S. officials said the five still in custody were linked to an Iranian Revolutionary Guard faction that funds and arms insurgents and militias in Iraq.

Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari was not available for comment, his office said.

Tehran denied the five detained Iranians had been involved in financing and arming insurgents in Iraq.