A militant group in Iraq said two French journalists held since August had been released and sent to the French Embassy in Baghdad, the Arab-language Al-Jazeera satellite TV reported Tuesday.

The release came four months after Christian Chesnot of Radio France Internationale and Georges Malbrunot of Le Figaro newspaper were kidnapped on Aug. 20 when heading to the southern Iraqi city of Najaf together with their Arab driver.

Their release has been confirmed by the French government. "They have been freed. They have been handed over to French authorities. They will return (to Paris) Wednesday," French Foreign Ministry's spokesman, Herve Ladsous, said.

According to French Defense Ministry, "probably a Falcon 900", is charged of bringing back the two French journalists freed earlier Tuesday. And "the two former hostages return to France on Wednesday afternoon at the airbase of Villacoublay, in the southwestern suburb of Paris."

French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier and the families of the two journalists are likely to board the Falcon to take them back.

French President Jacques Chirac, who just started Monday his vacation in Morocco, expressed his joy over the news and announced his immediate return to Paris to greet the two journalists.

The driver was freed in November.

A militant group calling itself the Islamic Army in Iraq claimed responsibility for the abduction. The group demanded that the French government revoke the headscarf ban in public schools. France rejected the demand.

(Xinhua News Agency December 22, 2004)