Iraq Watch: May 2, 2006

German Hostages Released; Suicide Bomber Attacks Anbar Governor

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Two German hostages abducted nearly 100 days ago were released unharmed on Tuesday according to German officials.

The two engineers, Rene Braeunlich and Thomas Nitzschke, were kidnapped January 24 while on their way to work in the industrial town of Beiji, 55 miles north of Baghdad.

A previously unknown of group calling itself the "Brigade of Supporters of the Sunna and Tawhid" claimed responsibility for the abduction and released two videos of the men over the duration of their captivity.

The abductors had threatened to execute the men unless the Germany ceased its cooperation with the Iraqi government and close down its Baghdad embassy.

Meanwhile, a suicide bomber attacked the convoy of Maamoun Sami Rashid al-Alwani, the governor of the volatile Anbar province. The blast, which occurred when a bomber driving a taxi detonated his explosive-laden vehicle next to the governor's motorcade, killed at least 10 people and wounded six.

The apparent target of the bombing, however, escaped unharmed and returned to his government compound in the provincial capital city of Ramadi.

Elsewhere, the executed bodies of at least four Iraqis were found across the capital city while four more corpses were discovered south of Baghdad in Suwayrah.

Also Tuesday, the U.S. military announced the death of a MND-B soldier who was killed by a roadside bomb Monday night south of the capital.