Cairo, afp: A group of European tourists and their Egyptian guides who were kidnapped by armed bandits in a remote desert 10 days ago have been freed unharmed, officials said on Monday.

“The hostages have been freed and are in good health. They are being brought to Cairo airport,” Egyptian state television quoted an official as saying.

The hostages — five Germans, five Italians, a Romanian and eight Egyptian drivers and tour guides — were snatched while on a safari in a lawless area of Egypt’s southwestern desert on September 19.

The kidnappers — whose identities remain unknown — had demanded a ransom but it was not known if any money was paid to secure the release of the 19.

Security officials said they were being being flown back to Al-Maza military airport, which is next to Cairo’s international airport, aboard a military aircraft.

“They’ll be here soon.” said tourism ministry spokewoman Omayma el-Huseini.

Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini confirmed the release, telling Sky Italia that “Our compatriots are free, and they are with Egyptian forces.”

Their release came after an Egyptian security official said kidnappers had agreed to let their captives go in return for a ransom, in a deal hammered out before Sudanese troops killed six hostage-takers in a shootout on Sunday.

“The problem was solved. They had agreed to the ransom. It was merely a matter of receiving the hostages, but then this surprise happened,” the official said, referring to the shooting.

Sudanese forces killed six of the bandits and arrested two in a shootout after spotting them in the Sudan-Egypt-Libya border area. A Sudanese official said the bandits had moved the hostages to a hideout in Chad.

The kidnappers had demanded that Germany take charge of payment of a six-million-euro (8.8-million-dollar) ransom to be handed over to the German wife of the tour organiser, one of those snatched.

However there was no information about whether this had been paid.

Egypt’s independent Al-Masry Al-Yom newspaper had earlier quoted a German negotiator as saying the release had been delayed because the kidnappers were seeking assurances they would not be arrested.

The negotiator said the bandits agreed to release five women hostages after payment of the ransom and hold on to the rest until they secured an escape route.

After they were kidnapped, the group was first moved across the border to Sudan to the remote mountain region of Jebel Uweinat, a plateau that straddles the borders of Egypt, Libya and Sudan, before the bandits took them into Chad, according to Sudanese officials.