Some 49 Turkish hostages seized by Islamic Sate militants in Iraq in June have been brought safely back to Turkey.

The hostages – including soldiers, diplomats and children – were seized from Turkey’s consulate-general in Mosul in June.

They were brought into Turkey by its intelligence agency in the early hours of Saturday (20 September) and taken to the southern city of Sanliurfa, said Prime Minister Agmet Davutoglu said.

Sanliurfa governor Izzettin Kucuk said all the released hostages were in good health.