Berlin - Rebels have released the correspondent of a German newspaper who was abducted in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the German government confirmed Friday.

Thomas Scheen, 43, the Belgian-born correspondent of the daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ), was taken captive by Mai-Mai militias in the eastern part of Congo on Tuesday.

The German foreign ministry said Scheen and his two local assistants were safely in the hands of the UN peacekeeping force MONUC.

The FAZ said Wednesday that Scheen was seized after he "got caught between the fronts" in the eastern Congo region.

Other reports said he was captured in an area where there was heavy fighting between Mai-Mai militias and forces of rebel General Laurent Nkunda. (dpa)