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KABUL, Afghansitan (CNN) -- Italian journalist Daniele Mastrogiacomo has been released two weeks after he was reportedly taken captive by the Taliban, according to the Italian Foreign Ministry and the reporter's employer, La Repubblica newspaper.
He was taken to an Italian-run hospital and has been in touch with Italy's ambassador to Afghanistan, according to the ministry and the newspaper.
Mastrogiacomo, a reporter for the Rome-based newspaper, was kidnapped March 5 along with two Afghan colleagues in the southern province of Helmand.
The government of Prime Minister Romano Prodi said it had been working day and night to free Mastrogiacomo since his abduction. Over the weekend, Prodi's private jet was flown to Kabul's airport in hopes of transporting the journalist back to Italy.
Mastrogiacomo appeared Wednesday in a video in which he called for the Italian government to "do anything possible" to obtain his release, as well as that of his colleagues.
Helmand Province within Afganistan
Italian journalist Daniele Mastrogiacomo was released by his Taliban captors in Afghanistan, Monday, after having been kidnapped and held hostage since March 5, 2007. Mastrogiacomo's intrepreter is believed to have been released as well, though no details are reported.

Mastrogiacomo, a reporter with Italian newspaper '''', was taken captive in Helmand Province along with his Afghan interpreter and his driver, while attempting to obtain interviews with members of the Taliban.

In a television interview after his release, Mastrogiacomo expressed his gratitude to those that worked for his release. "I'm very happy, I thank you all. I knew you wouldn't abandon me", said Mastrogiacomo.

He also described some horrors that he witnessed while in captivity. Syed Agha had been killed in front of him by their captors. "I saw him being decapitated, it was horrific", Mastrogiacomo recalled.

The driver, Syed Agha was reportedly decapitated by his captors for "spying" in the presence of Mastrogiacomo. Agha's family blockaded the hospital in Lashkar Gah where Mastrogiacomo was being treated, demanding to know what happened to Agha. For reasons still unclear, security forces arrested the head of that hospital, Rahamatullah Hanafi.

Taliban commander Mullah Dadullah told  that the release of Mastrogiacomo and his interpreter was secured through the exchange of five senior Taliban members.

 Romano Prodi suggested it was not a simple task to secure Mastrogiacomo's release, which was obtained with the help of Italian authorities, humanitarian officials and the Afghan government.

According to Italian officials, Mastrogiacomo is to travel to  on Tuesday and then secure a flight to Italy.



'''This story has ''new developments''.'''

''Updated information can be found here''