France says two nationals held in Nigeria rescued

PARIS Nov 17 (Reuters) - France said on Wednesday two of its nationals kidnapped in Nigeria earlier this month had been freed by Nigerian military forces.

Nigeria's military rescued 19 hostages including foreigners being held in the Niger Delta oil region in a land, air and sea operation on Wednesday, security sources told Reuters.

The freed hostages included two Americans, two Frenchmen, two Indonesians and a Canadian kidnapped this month from an Afren (AFRE.L) oil rig, as well as eight Nigerian staff abducted from an Exxon Mobil (XOM.N) platform on Sunday and four others, two security sources involved in the operation said.

France's new Foreign Minister Michele Alliot-Marie confirmed the release of the two Frenchman in a statement.

"This happy ending does not make us forget the fate of the other French nationals still held hostage, for which the government is as mobilised as ever," she said.

France now has eight nationals held overseas including five in Mali, two in Afghanistan and one in Somalia. (Reporting by John Irish; editing by Matthew Jones)