Iraqi militants claim release of kidnapped Turkish workers

A group of Turkish workers kidnapped in Iraq was freed on Monday, reports suggested, although the Turkish Foreign Ministry denied the claims.

The group of 18 construction workers was kidnapped in Baghdad in early September by men wearing military fatigues and driving black sports utility vehicles.

Two of the group were freed two weeks later, and informed officials that the rest of the group was in good health.

The militants responsible for the kidnapping, who call themselves “Death Squad,” released a video early on Monday claiming to show the workers being released.

In a previous video the 18 captives had been featured reading out their names and a list of the militants’ demands.

The militants stood in front of a banner reading “At your service, Hussein,” a common pledge of loyalty for Shia Muslims.

Among their demands was that Turkey order rebel forces in Syria to stop besieging four Shia villages in the north of the country.

The cluster of villages is surrounded by Jaish al-Fatah, a loose coalition of Islamist fighters who are opposed to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

The group also demanded the withdrawal of Turkish military personnel from Iraq.

Despite the release of a video claiming to show the captives being released, the Turkish Foreign Ministry has denied the reports.

A source told Turkish news site Daily Sabah that efforts to free the group were ongoing.