(UPDATE) Leftist rebels free 4 kidnapped policemen in Caraga

DAVAO CITY, Philippines (Xinhua) - Leftist rebels today released four policemen the insurgents have captured during a raid in the southern Philippines early this month, officials said.

Police Officers Vic Concon, Rey O'Neal Morales, Joen Zabala and Editho Roquino were turned by New People's Army guerrillas over to officials and representatives of the Caraga Regional Development Council somewhere in the hinterlands of Surigao and Agusan provinces past Tuesday noon, said Romaldo Bayting, Caraga regional police spokesperson.

Bayting said the former captives are in good health and were now undergoing medical checkup and stress debriefing.

The cops had been captured on July 10 when guerrillas raided the police station in Alegria town, in Surigao del Norte province, leaving two attackers dead and several policemen wounded.

Interior Minister Mar Roxas led the negotiation for the release, and a rebel representative, Luis Jalandoni, said the cops' release was an act of goodwill gesture to push ahead with the stalled peace talks between the rebels and the Philippine government in a bid to end one of Asia's longest leftist insurgencies which has claimed over 40,000 lives.