Hostage Douglas Wood has been rescued from his captors after being held for six weeks in Iraq, Australian PM John Howard has said.

Hostage Douglas Wood has been rescued from his captors after being held for six weeks in Iraq, Australian PM John Howard has said.

"I am delighted to inform the house the Australian hostage in Iraq, Mr Douglas Wood, is safe from his captors," he told the Australian parliament.

He said the engineer, 63, seized in late April, had been rescued in a military operation.

His release came as a suicide bomber killed at least 23 Iraqi soldiers.

Dozens were also injured in the town of Khalis, 60km (40 miles) north of Baghdad, when a bomber dressed as an Iraqi soldier blew himself up at an army canteen.

At least 900 people have died in attacks since Iraq's new government was formed six weeks ago.

First Australian taken

Mr Howard told parliament Mr Wood was in the hands of the Australian authorities in Baghdad and was undergoing medical checks, but was well.

"Mr Wood was recovered a short while ago in Baghdad in a military operation which I'm told was conducted by Iraqi forces, in co-operation in a general way with force elements from the United States," he said.

Mr Howard said no ransom had been paid for Mr Wood's release.

He praised the efforts of the Iraqi government of Prime Minister Ibrahim Jaafari in helping to secure the release.

"I hope very shortly to express my thanks for the efforts of his forces and may I record again our thanks to our American friends for their constant support and availability and co-operation," Mr Howard said.

"It is a wonderful outcome for this man who suffered so much and it's a tribute to the work of our Iraqi and American friends that this has come about."

Australia sent an emergency response team to Baghdad after Mr Wood, who is married to an American and lives in the US, was seized by a rebel group calling itself the Shura Council of the Mujahideen of Iraq.

The group initially demanded Australia pull its troops out of Iraq or else they would kill Mr Wood.

He was the first Australian taken hostage in Iraq, where there are about 1,400 Australian troops stationed.