A Japanese journalist who was detained in Iraq's northern Kurdistan region told a friend Monday that he has been released and posted on his Twitter account he will return to Japan Tuesday evening.

The 47-year-old Kosuke Tsuneoka, who is in Iraq covering the battle for the Daesh-held city of Mosul, said on Twitter he was detained on suspicion he was a member of the militant group, Kyodo News Agency reported.

Earlier Monday, a senior Japanese Foreign Ministry official said an official at the Japanese Embassy in Iraq has confirmed the well-being of Tsuneoka in a 30-minute meeting near Erbil last Thursday.