Washington, May 10: US President Donald Trump welcomed the three freed American detainees who reached here on Thursday morning after they were released by North Korea.

Kim Dong Chul, Kim Hak-song and Tony Kim were freed on Wednesday while Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was on a visit to the North Korean capital Pyongyang to discuss Trump's upcoming summit with leader Kim Jong-un, CNN reported.

No family members or friends of the freed Americans were present for their arrival due to protocol reasons, said an official. The men had to first debrief intelligence officials before heading to their homes, the official added.

Speaking on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews Air Force Base, Kim Dong Chul said his release felt "like a dream". "We are very, very happy." 

Trump, who was accompanied by his wife Melania, told reporters it was "nice" of the North Korean leader to release the men ahead of their planned summit. According to reports, administration officials had been instructed to move forward with plans to convene the Trump-Kim meeting in Singapore.

Vice President Mike Pence and his wife Karen Pence were also present to welcome the three men home.

"Frankly we didn't think this was going to happen. It's a very important thing to all of us to be able to get these three great people out," Trump said.

After their meeting with the US President, the men were expected to go to Walter Reed Medical Centre in Maryland for further evaluation and medical treatment, according to White House Press Secretary Lindsay Walters.

They issued a joint statement on Wednesday thanking Trump saying: "We would like to express our deep appreciation to the US government, President Trump, Secretary Pompeo, and the US people for bringing us home."

Trump has marked the men's arrival as a major milestone ahead of his upcoming historic summit with Kim. He had previously said the release of the men was part of working towards the denuclearisation of North Korea.

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Mumbai, Jul 25 (PTI): Police have opposed the bail plea of the Bangladeshi national arrested for allegedly stabbing Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan with a knife and injuring him at his home here in January this year, telling a Mumbai court there was "strong evidence" against the accused.

Citing a Forensic Science Laboratory report, police reiterated before the sessions court their earlier claim knife fragments that got lodged near the actor's spine during the attack as well as a part found at the crime spot have matched with the weapon recovered from the accused, Shariful Islam.

These three pieces were part of the same weapon (knife) used to attack the filmstar, the police said in a written response to the accused's plea submitted in the court on Thursday (July 24).

Khan was repeatedly stabbed with a knife by an intruder inside his 12th floor apartment in upscale Bandra on January 16 during a robbery attempt.

The 54-year-old actor underwent surgery at Lilavati Hospital to remove a piece of knife that got lodged near his spine during the attack. He was discharged from the private hospital after five days.

Shariful Islam, a Bangladeshi national, was arrested two days later for allegedly stabbing Khan.

The police, in their response, highlighted that the accused is a Bangladeshi citizen residing illegally in India.

If granted bail, there was a possibility that he may flee India and not appear before the court during the trial. The crime committed by the accused is of a "very serious nature, and strong evidence" is available against him, they argued.

In his bail plea, filed through advocate Vipul Dushing, the accused asserted he was innocent and had no prior criminal record.

Investigation into the case has practically concluded with only the filing of a chargesheet pending, the accused contended while seeking bail.

The alleged attacker has been booked under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) sections related to house trespass, robbery and dacoity with attempt to cause death or grievous injury.