Paris:Two Agence France-Presse journalists and a Getty Images photographer arrested in Libya on Saturday have been released in Tripoli.

Dave Clark, Roberto Schmidt and Joe Raedle from AFP partner Getty were arrested near the eastern town of Ajdabiya by Libyan forces.

“All those who at every moment of their lives think that freedom is not just a word are deeply rejoicing now that Dave Clark, Roberto Schmidt and Joe Raedle have regained their liberty to live their lives and practise their profession,” said AFP Chairman and Chief Executive Emmanuel Hoog.

“This liberation is the fruit of the mobilisation of the entire AFP editorial staff and the agency as a whole.

“I thank everyone in the company for their efforts, the French government for its determination to find a just and happy outcome and the Libyan authorities for their promptness, following my urgent request, in freeing the journalists whose sole mission was to report on the situation currently playing out in Libya”.

Paris-based Clark, 38, a former Baghdad bureau chief, has been in Libya since March 8. Schmidt, 45, who normally works out of AFP’s Nairobi bureau, arrived in the country on February 28. Raedle, a US citizen, is also 45.