El Cajon man was captured by extremists in Iraq January 23
 

 March 28, 2010 (El Cajon) – The U.S. Department of Defense today announced that Issa Salomi, 60, of El Cajon is free and has been returned to American authorities.

“We appreciate all the support everyone has shown towards us from all over the country,” Salomi’s family said in a statement released by the San Diego FBI office.

Associated Press reports that Salomi has called his wife and son, adding that family memories sustained him during his ordeal.
 

Salomi disappeared on January 23 while in Iraq. AFP news showed a video of Salomi as a hostage. In the video, he called for prosecution of employees of Blackwater (now called Xe Services) for the 2007 killing of Iraqi civilians.
 

The Department of Defense has not released details on the circumstances of Salomi’s release. But the Washington Post reports that the Shiite extremist group Asaib Ahl al-Haq, known in English as the League of the Righteous, has issued a statement claiming Salomi and three other captives were freed "in response to our demands following the capture of the American officer.”

Al Jazeera news reports that Salomi was released as part of a prisoner swap deal made with the U.S. Army to reader several of the group’s leaders.