11.   Adem and the military confirmed the release.

12.   An official source told The Associated Press of the release Monday afternoon, and the Burmese Embassy in Bangkok, Thailand, confirmed the release early Tuesday.

13.   An Interior Ministry official on Saturday also confirmed the releases.

14.   At a news conference in Dushanbe, Red Cross delegation leader Thomas Merckelbach confirmed the releases of the two workers, a Briton and a Tajik.

15.   At the United Nations, spokesman Fred Eckhard confirmed the release.

16.   But they failed to telephone the negotiators as expected Thursday to confirm the release, the official said.

17.   German Embassy officials confirmed their release after a confusing day in which they were said to be freed Tuesday and then believed still in captivity in southeastern Yemen.

18.   George Anastasiades, the head of the Nicosia prison, confirmed their release, but declined to say when they were freed.

19.   Government spokesman Mahdi Ibrahim also confirmed their release.

20.   In a statement issued in Geneva, the International Committee of the Red Cross confirmed the releases and urged all the sides involved to continue the exchanges.