Seven Chinese oil workers kidnapped in a rebels raid on an oilfield in Ethiopia last month arrive at the Beijing Capital International Airport on Wednesday, May 2, 2007. [Xinhua]

Seven Chinese oil workers kidnapped in a rebels raid on an oilfield in Ethiopia last month arrive at the Beijing Capital International Airport on Wednesday, May 2, 2007. [Xinhua]

Seven Chinese workers kidnapped by Ethiopian rebels after an attack on a Chinese oil company in Ethiopia arrived at the Beijing Capital International Airport Wednesday afternoon.

The workers, from an exploration bureau of the China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation, arrived at about 3 p.m. aboard an aircraft of the Etihad airways of United Arab Emirates from Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia.

All seven were in stable health condition despite obvious tiredness after the terrifying experience. They are scheduled to return to their hometown in central China's Henan Province, in one or two days.

Wang Shengwen, head of a special Chinese team sent to rescue the kidnapped workers, said that the successful release was due to the help of some friendly African countries who helped contact the rebel group and urged it to release the workers as soon as possible. He also expressed thanks to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), who had facilitated the release and safe return of the workers.

In the attack on the Chinese oil company's premises in the Ogaden region of Ethiopia on April 24, seven Chinese workers were kidnapped by a group of gunmen of the Ogaden National Liberation Front, who killed nine Chinese workers and 65 Ethiopian employees of the Chinese company during the attack.

Editor: Donlad