An Italian oil worker taken hostage in Nigeria's Niger Delta region last week has been freed.
A Nigerian militant group, Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, or MEND, said Tuesday it ordered the man's unconditional release, in an effort to end a series of kidnappings for profit.
The Saipem oil worker was abducted Thursday in the oil-rich south. It is not clear who was responsible for the kidnapping, which also resulted in the death of a Nigerian soldier.
So far this month, at least 19 foreign oil workers have been abducted in the oil-rich region. Three remain missing, while the others have been released unharmed.
Militant groups have been pressing for local communities to receive a greater share of the region's oil wealth. However, many of the recent kidnappings are believed to have been mainly for ransom money.
Nigeria's government began a crackdown on militants in the delta last week.
The kidnapping of the Italian touched off what witnesses described as a rampage by Nigerian troops who burned more 100 homes in a Port Harcourt neighborhood. Nigeria's military has denied responsibility for the incident.
Hostage-takings and other militant attacks in the delta have caused a 20 percent decline in Nigeria's daily oil production since February.
Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.
