11 Europeans Freed After Being Kidnapped in Egypt

Eleven European tourists and their eight Egyptian guides have been released and are being flown to Cairo after being taken hostage a week ago in a remote desert region of Egypt.

The group, including five Germans, five Italians, and a Romanian, were reported to be in good health although there were conflicting reports that rescuers had exchanged gunfire with their captors.

The group was kidnapped at Gilf al-Kebir, a mountainous, cave-riddled plateau used as the setting for the 1996 film "The English Patient," but were then smuggled across the border into Sudan. As negotiations continued for their release they continued on a desert odyssey reportedly crossing into Libya and then Chad before returning to Sudan.

Conflicting accounts about how they were released raised speculation that a large ransom had been paid. German negotiators said last week that the kidnappers had demanded $9 million.

The release of the Westerners was reported on Egyptian state television and confirmed by Italian officials.

Few details were given, but Egypt's defence minister said that half of the kidnappers had been "eliminated."