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French President Jacques Chirac thanked military and civilian officials for their work to free the pair.

"At the end of a long, painful, 157-day captivity that was shared by all French people, they will at last return to their families and loved ones, and I want to tell them of our joy."

He said the French journalist for the Liberation newspaper is heading home by plane, but he did not provide any further details of their release.

Aubenas, a veteran reporter for the Liberation newspaper, was expected to arrive at a Paris-area military airport towards the end of the day.

Her colleagues at the Paris offices of Liberation said they were delighted at Aubenas' release.