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Associated PressBAGHDAD (AP) — U.S. forces on Thursday released five Iranian officials detained in January 2007 in northern Iraq on suspicion of aiding local Shiite militants, Iranian and Iraqi officials said.
Iranian embassy spokesman Amir Arshadi said the Iranian detainees had been handed over to Iraqi authorities prior to their transfer to the embassy. His comments were confirmed by Yassin Majid, media adviser to Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.
The Iranians were detained in the northern Iraqi city of Irbil and at the time U.S. authorities said the men included the operations chief and other members of Iran's elite Quds Force, which is accused of arming and training Iraqi militants. Iran denied the claim.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hasan Qashqavi confirmed the report on state television, saying "the hostages" were in al-Maliki's office for a meeting.
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