Two South Korean aid workers have been set free after being detained for some 14 hours by a Shiite group in southern Iraq.

The two men were doing relief work in the southern city of Nasiriyah on Monday when shooting erupted between Italian forces and Shiite militiamen.

The two are in Baghdad following their release and reportedly have no injuries.

One of the two South Koreans, identified by his surname Han, said that on the way to their hotel, Shiite militiamen blocked the streets and took them to a nearby building. Han quoted them as saying that it was dangerous to be outside with shots being exchanged between Italian forces and the militiamen, and that they would protect the South Koreans.

South Korea's Yonhap news agency and Japan's Kyodo news agency had earlier cited French radio reports as saying the two men were kidnapped in southern Iraq by a Shiite militia group called the al-Mahdi Army.

South Korea has been on guard against possible attacks and reprisals for its contributions to the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq. Seoul plans to send around 3,000 troops to Iraq in the coming months, making it the largest contributer of troops there after the United States and Britain.