French journalists abducted in Syria freed

Four French journalists kidnapped in Syria almost a year ago have been freed, French President Francois Hollande said Saturday.

Edouard Elias, Didier François, Nicolas Henin and Pierre Torres were held captive since June 2013, BBC reported.

The journalists were found by Turkish soldiers on the Syria-Turkey border with their hands and eyes bound.

The four journalists went missing in two separate incidents.

Francois, a veteran war correspondent working for Europe 1 radio, and Elias, a photographer, were abducted early June while they were on their way to Aleppo.

Henin, who was working for Le Point magazine, and Torres, reporting for French-German television channel Arte, were taken later that month.

The jihadi group Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) was accused of the kidnappings.

"I share the joy of the families of our compatriots who have endured the fear of this trying time," President Hollande said.