Italy’s government has announced the release of two young aid workers taken hostage in northern Syria last summer.<br /><br /> In a video released two weeks ago, it was claimed that Greta Ramelli, 20, and Vanessa Marzullo, 21, were being held by the al-Nusra Front, al Qaeda’s branch in Syria.<br /><br /> The video published on YouTube showed the two women sitting and dressed in black robes and veils. One held a sign giving the date as Dec. 17, 2014.<br /><br /> The women said they could be killed and that the Italian government was responsible for their lives.<br /><br /> In August, the foreign ministry in Rome announced the pair had been seized while working on a humanitarian project in Aleppo province. <br /><br /> No details about their release were provided but there is speculation that a ransom of more than 12 million euros may have been paid.
