Shiite Militant Group Says 18 Turkish Workers Kidnapped in Iraq Released

18 Turkish workers, that were kidnapped by the Shiite militants in Baghdad earlier this month, reportedly have been released.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — All 18 Turkish construction workers, that were kidnapped by the Shiite militants in Baghdad earlier this month, have been released, local media reported Monday citing the militant group’s account in social network.

According to the local Daily Sabah newspaper, if the militants’ claims are real, it means the group has released 16 captives in addition to two freed in mid-September.

On September 2, Turkish construction company Nurol Holding said 18 of its employees, all Turkish nationals, were kidnapped in Baghdad. The Turkish nationals were working on the construction of a sports complex in the Baghdad's Shiite suburb of Sadr City.

According to the video, released by the group on September 11, the Shiite militants kidnapped the workers to pressure Ankara into changing Turkey’s regional policy.

In June 2014, militants from the terrorist group Islamic State took 49 employees of the Turkish consulate in Mosul in northern Iraq hostage. The hostages were released after three months in captivity.