Three Christians, Turkoman, freed after 9-day abduction in Kirkuk

KIRKUK / IraqiNews.com: Three Iraqi Christians and a Turkoman have been freed by police forces in northern Iraq’s KirkukProvince, after 9 days of their abduction by unknown gunmen, the Director of Kirkuk Police reported on Saturday.   “Our security forces have carried out a campaign, searching for 3 Christians and a Turkoman that were abducted by armed men 9 days ago, close to Daqouq township, 35 km to the south of Kirkuk,” Lt-Brigadier Sarhad Qader told IraqiNews.com news agency.   He said the campaign had covered the liberation of the 4 men, who were locked in a hiding place in Daqouq township, whilst searching continues for the armed men, who abducted them.   Qader has told IraqiNews.com on 21/9/2011 that a group of unknown armed men had abducted 3 Christian citizens in a village near Daqouq township, adding that Army and Police forces began a broad campaign searching for the abducted men.   Noteworthy is that the same area had witnessed the assassination of an official of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and a number of his companions last year.   The oil-rich city of Kirkuk is 280 km to the north of Baghdad.   SKH (IT) 279