Italian aid workers held hostage in Syria are freed

Two young women were believed to have been kidnapped after they traveled to Syria in late July.

(CNN)Two Italian aid workers who had been held hostage in Syria for almost six months have been released, the Italian government announced Thursday. 

Greta Ramelli and Vanessa Marzullo are due to return to Italy soon, the Prime Minister's office said via Twitter.

Marzullo, 21, and Ramelli, 20, were kidnapped in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo shortly after they arrived in late July to work on humanitarian aid projects, the state-run ANSA news agency reported.

A video posted on New Year's Day showed two young women identified as the hostages dressed in Islamic garb with only their faces showing. They appeared to be seated against a wall. One read a brief statement in English, which included: "We are in big danger and we could be killed."

There were no other details divulged Thursday about the release.

Source http://cnn.it/1sF2NQL