SANA: Italians Freed after Week of Captivity in Syria

Two Italian technicians, who worked as subcontractors in Syria for Italian energy group Ansaldo, were released late on Friday after going missing for a week, the official SANA news agency said.

"During operations to cleanse some (rebel) areas in the province of Damascus, Syrian troops managed to liberate the two Italian technicians, who were kidnapped by an armed terrorist group," SANA said.

"The two men said they had been kidnapped by a group of about 15 terrorists and were poorly treated during their captivity," the news agency added.

Italian media named the pair as Oriano Catari, 64, and Domenico Tedeschi, 36.

According to the Genoa newspaper Il Secolo XIX, the two men were employed at a power plant in Deir Ali, near Damascus, on behalf of the Syrian national electric company.

SANA said the two men had flown out of Syria following their release but Italian officials offered no immediate confirmation.

Italian Foreign Minister Giulio "Terzi is following the situation very closely, step by step," a press officer said.

"The ministry will not comment at this time in order not to jeopardize the case."

Italy expelled the Syrian ambassador to Rome in May in a coordinated action with other Western governments to protest against a massacre of civilians in the central town of Houla.