Iranian police free hostages seized by militants

Several hostages seized by militants in Iran have been freed on Saturday after two days of fighting, CNN reports referring to Iranian media.

The kidnapping and confrontations that freed the hostages took place in Iran's restive southeastern province of Sistan and Balouchestan. The local police works with forces from the Qods Headquarters of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard to seal the area and ambush the hostage-takers.

The hostage situation began Thursday when armed men stopped a bus traveling from Chabahar to Zahedan and seized five soldiers and a bank employee, according to Fars.

One of the hostages and one of the gunman were killed in the rescue operation, and two more hostages were wounded. According to other media sources three of the gunmen were killed.

Sunni militant group Jundollah claimed responsibility for the kidnapping on its website, Fars reported. However, an official with the provincial governor's office rejected that claim Friday, as well as Jundollah's claim that some of the kidnapped soldiers were top air force officers.