Following threats to kill the two hostages within 24 hours, Italy delegates its foreign minister for rescue

The Italian foreign minister Franco Frateini will head within the few coming hours to the Gulf region in an urgent mission to ensure the release of the two Italian hostages in Iraq after threats announced to kill them.

In a statement, the Italian foreign ministry said that Frateini will hold a series of meetings with the authorities and with civilian and religious organizations in the Gulf and he will start his tour from Kuwait, noting that he will renew from there the call to honor the life of innocent civilians who work in the service of the Iraqi people.

This announcement was made hours, after a threat by an Islamic group in a statement attributed to an Islamic web on the Internet to behead the two Italian women hostages held in Iraq, unless the Italian government withdraws its forces from Iraq within 24 hours.