Iraq kidnappers issue 72-hour ultimatum for German hostages
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
Berlin, Feb 1, IRNA
Germany-Iraq-Kidnapping
The kidnappers of two German engineers in Iraq have threatened to kill them within 72 hours unless Berlin closes its embassy in Baghdad and all German companies pull out of Iraq, the media reported Wednesday.
The Qatar-based al-Jazeera television network released on Tuesday the latest video footage of the German hostages kneeling down next to masked gunmen.
The video which was dated January 29, was also received by the German ZDF public television station but it did not broadcast the tape during its late evening news.
The German Foreign Ministry would not say when the deadline expires, according to DPA.
Meanwhile the German government was due to discuss the latest developments in the hostage case during their routine weekly cabinet meeting on Wednesday morning.
The German engineers, identified as Rene Braeunlich and Thomas Nitzschke, were kidnapped eight days ago in the northern Iraqi town of Baiji.
This is the second kidnapping case of German citizens in Iraq over the past two months.
Berlin has called on all German nationals to leave Iraq as soon as possible, citing the dangerous security situation in the Middle Eastern country.
OT/2321/1422
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