French hostages 'alive'

Islamic militants in Iraq have handed over two French hostages to another guerilla group opposed to their kidnap and murder, the editor of one of the reporters held captive said yesterday.

As hopes rose that Georges Malbrunot and Christian Chesnot could be released as soon as today, the Muslim day of prayer, French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier told reporters he understood the pair were "alive and getting good treatment".

Le Figaro editor Jean de Belot said on France Info radio: "The latest information is that Christian Chesnot and Georges Malbrunot have been handed over by the Islamic Army in Iraq to an Iraqi Sunni guerilla group... an opposition that we know for a few days now has been in favour of the release of the hostages."

The opposition guerilla group now holding the men, seized by the Islamic Army in Iraq on August 20, has in recent days come out in favour of the men's release, he added.

"Some people are talking of their release this night, others talk of tomorrow morning... but until the good news has actually arrived, we cannot allow ourselves to be absolutely reassured."

The new mood of optimism, tempered by the announcement by Iraqi militants that they had killed three Turkish captives, was reflected in comments by French Muslim leaders who flew to the region to help secure the journalists' freedom.

Mohamed Bechari, vice president of the French Council of the Muslim Faith, told reporters the French Muslim delegation was "optimistic and confident (the hostages) will be released soon". In Paris, French Interior Minister Dominique de Villepin urged caution but said: "The indications that we have are positive, and give us confidence and encourage us to act.

"Tomorrow [today] is the day of prayer. Friday is a great moment of coming together, and meditation, I would like to believe that we could hope for a happy outcome," he said on France 2 television.

The seizure of Frenchmen has stunned France, which opposed the US-led war in Iraq and has no troops there.

France has steadfastly refused to bow to the hostage-takers' demand that Paris rescind a law banning Muslim headscarves in schools. The law went into force yesterday as some 12 million French pupils returned to their desks.

Few girls wore the traditional head garment and there were no immediate reports of protests as classes began.

The Muslim headscarf was banned along with Jewish skullcaps and large Christian crosses in a bid to keep religious extremism out of schools.

France, a fierce opponent of the US-led war in Iraq which has refused to send troops there, has won unprecedented support from the Arab world which has publicly demanded the journalists be released.

The militants have not said what they will do if their demands are not met, but the hostages said in a video broadcast by an Arabic television station earlier this week that they feared they could die soon.

The kidnappers may be seeking a face-saving way out of the crisis because of the appeals from the Arab world, according to a French journalist who says she has been in contact for several months with the group now holding the hostages.