A video grab of released British serviceman Operator Maintainer Andrew Henderson kissing an unidentified woman at Royal Marines Base Chivenor in Devon, 200 miles (320 km) southwest of London April 5, 2007.

Fifteen British military personnel freed by Iran after a two-week stand-off were reunited with their families on Thursday.

The 14 men and one woman hugged and kissed tearful relatives at a military base in southwest England ahead of a debriefing¹ session, after landing in London from Tehran.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, to the surprise of British government, said on Wednesday he had decided² to forgive and free the group, who were seized along with their patrol boats in the northern Gulf³ on March 23.

Iran said they had strayed into its waters but Britain said they were in Iraqi waters on a regular U.N. mission.

In a statement released several hours after their return, the 15 said their arrival at Heathrow airport had been a "dream come true" and said they would not forget the welcome.

"The past two weeks have been very difficult, but by staying together as a team, we kept our spirits up, drawing great comfort from the knowledge that our loved ones would be waiting for us on our return," they said in a statement read out by a Royal Marines spokesman.

Prime Minister Tony Blair was somber⁴. He said that while the country celebrated⁵ the safe return the joy was diminished by the killing⁶ of four British soldiers in Iraq on Thursday.

"Just as we rejoice at the return of our 15 service personnel, we are also grieving and mourning for the loss of our soldiers in Basra, who were killed as the result of a terrorist act," Blair said outside his office at 10 Downing St.