BAGHDAD -- Three Japanese civilians taken hostage last week by gunmen in Iraq were freed Thursday and arrived safely at the Japanese Embassy in Baghdad, government officials said.

Arab satellite news channel Al-Jazeera, which broke the news of the release, showed video footage of the three sitting on sofas in the Baghdad office of the Islamic Clerics Association and reported that they are in good health.

Their safety was later confirmed by the Foreign Ministry. In Tokyo, ruling coalition sources said Japan is considering sending a chartered plane to Baghdad to pick up the three.