Seventeen civilians from Syria's Druze minority who had been kidnapped in July by the Islamic State group returned home safely Friday, a local media outlet reported.
State media announced on Thursday that 19 hostages had been freed following a military operation against the jihadists in the southern province of Sweida.
But the head of local channel Sweida 24 said only 17 returned to their homes in the province early on Friday, indicating that three other hostages had died.
"Seventeen hostages returned," Nour Radwan told AFP.
Two children were killed as they tried to escape the truck where they were being held by IS, during clashes with the army, Sweida 24 reported a freed female hostage as saying.