Four hostages released in southern Iran

Four Tehran citizens, held hostage for 110 days in the southern Iranian city of Iranshahr, were eventually released by police forces, a senior police official says.

Commander of Sistan-Baluchestan provincial police said that they were held hostage near Iranshahr in Sistan-Baluchestan province in June.

Brigadier-General Gholamali Nekouei stated that the hostages had been deceived by hostage-takers on the pretext of signing a business contract with them on export of carpets.

"Police forces managed to locate the place where the hostages were held captive in the mountainous regions of Iranshahr," he said.

Brigadier-General Nekouei pointed out that all of the three hostage-takers have been arrested.

Nekouei said that the hostage-takers had asked for $2 million for releasing each hostage, but then they reduced their ransom amount to $1.5 million.

Iranshahr is located 325 kilometers to the south of provincial capital, Zahedan.