Five foreign hostages released in Nigerian delta

PORT HARCOURT, Nigeria, July 11 (Reuters) Five foreign oil workers were released in the Niger Delta in southern Nigeria today, a week after they were kidnapped on an exploration rig, a police spokesman said.

The five men were working for Lonestar, a Nigerian contractor to Royal Dutch Shell, on an exploration rig at Soku in Rivers state where they were kidnapped on July 4. They are two New Zealanders, one Australian, one Venezuelan and one Lebanese.

At least 11 other expatriates are still being held by various armed groups in the delta.

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