Five Italians who were among the 11 foreign tourists and eight local guides taken hostage in southern Egypt ten days ago have been released unharmed, Egyptian and Italian authorities said on Monday.
The release was also confirmed in Belgrade by Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini, who is on a visit to Serbia.
The release of the hostages, the minister said, ''was the result of international collaboration and we are truly grateful to the authorities of those countries which worked with us''.
Egyptian authorities said the hostages would be taken directly to Cairo.
The 19 hostages were kidnapped in Egypt on September 19 and then taken to Sudan. According to Sudanese authorities, they were transferred to Libya on September 27, but Tripoli has denied this.
The hostages were sighted September 27 in Sudan, apparently heading back to Egypt.
Sudanese officials believe the hostages were at some point given to another band and then transferred to Chad.
On Sunday, six of the original alleged kidnappers were killed by Sudanese troops after the vehicle they were riding in failed to stop at a road block
Frattini on Monday criticised the Italian press for its coverage of the incident and for implying that Sudan was hindering negotiations for the release of the hostages.
The foreign minister said he was ''very concerned over the reporting of events without any confirmation, such as that our countrymen were put at risk in an operation which was certainly not a military raid''.
''This type of reporting is counterproductive because it damages the efforts we are making with competent authorities,'' he added.
According to the foreign minister, none of the hostages were involved in the incident and incorrect reports that the Sudanese army had placed the lives of the hostages at risk were ''very damaging''.
''It is clear that we must have the collaboration of the governments of those countries where our fellow countrymen have been taken or are about to be taken. For this reason the utmost discretion is necessary,'' Frattini explained.
