Iraq's ambassador to Germany said on Wednesday he believed Berlin paid a hefty ransom to secure the release of two German engineers who were held hostage in Iraq for over three months.
The two men were due to arrive at Berlin's Tegel airport later on Wednesday but officials were tightlipped about the circumstances surrounding their kidnap and subsequent release after nearly 100 days in captivity.
German archaeologist Susanne Osthoff was freed in December after being held hostage in Iraq for three weeks. German media have quoted unidentified diplomats as saying Berlin paid the kidnappers $5 million for her release.
The German government is known to have paid ransoms for hostages in the past, but refused to comment on whether it did for Osthoff.
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