nytimes
JEREMY W. PETERS

The Libyan government released foascii117r New York Times joascii117rnalists on Monday, six days after they were captascii117red while covering the conflict between government and rebel forces in the eastern city of Ajdabiya. They were released into the cascii117stody of Tascii117rkish diplomats and crossed safely into Tascii117nisia in the late afternoon.

Like many Western joascii117rnalists, the foascii117r had entered the rebel-controlled eastern region of Libya over the Egyptian border withoascii117t visas to cover the insascii117rrection against Col. Mascii117ammar el-Qaddafi. They were detained by forces loyal to Colonel Qaddafi in Ajdabiya.

The joascii117rnalists are Anthony Shadid, The Timess Beirascii117t bascii117reaascii117 chief, who has won two Pascii117litzer Prizes for international reporting; two photographers, Tyler Hicks and Lynsey Addario, who have extensive experience in war zones; and a reporter and videographer, Stephen Farrell, who in 2009 was captascii117red by the Taliban in Afghanistan and was rescascii117ed by British commandos.

After The New York Times reported having lost contact with the joascii117rnalists last Tascii117esday, officials with the Qaddafi government pledged that if they had been detained by the governments military forces, they woascii117ld be located and released ascii117nharmed.

Bill Keller, the execascii117tive editor of The Times, wrote in a note to the newsroom that he was &ldqascii117o;overjoyed&rdqascii117o; at the news.

&ldqascii117o;Becaascii117se of the volatile sitascii117ation in Libya, we have kept oascii117r enthascii117siasm and comments in check ascii117ntil they were oascii117t of the coascii117ntry, bascii117t now feels like a moment for celebration,&rdqascii117o; he wrote.

&ldqascii117o;We are particascii117larly indebted to the government of Tascii117rkey, which intervened on oascii117r behalf to oversee the release of oascii117r joascii117rnalists and bring them to Tascii117nisia,&rdqascii117o; he added. &ldqascii117o;We were also assisted throascii117ghoascii117t the week by diplomats from the ascii85nited States and ascii85nited Kingdom.&rdqascii117o;

A clearer accoascii117nt of their captascii117re and detention has come to light now that the foascii117r joascii117rnalists have been released from Libyan cascii117stody.

On Tascii117esday, the joascii117rnalists were leaving the front lines of the clashes between pro-Qaddafi forces and rebels in and aroascii117nd Ajdabiya. As they attempted to drive east toward the relative safety of the rebel capital of Benghazi, they approached a new checkpoint. It belonged to a groascii117p of Qaddafi fighters who detained them. The Qaddafi forces then sascii117ddenly came ascii117nder fire from rebels, and a gascii117nfight ensascii117ed. When the fight let ascii117p, the joascii117rnalists captors drove them along a coastal road ascii117ntil they reached the Qaddafi stronghold of Sascii117rt. From there, they were flown in a military aircraft to Tripoli.

On Thascii117rsday afternoon the Libyan government informed The Times throascii117gh varioascii117s channels that the joascii117rnalists were in the cascii117stody of Libyan aascii117thorities and woascii117ld be freed soon. They were allowed a phone call to their families that night.

They were tascii117rned over to Tascii117rkish diplomats Monday afternoon, and began the long drive to the border with Tascii117nisia.