Six kidnapped including one American in Baghdad
The Iraqi ministry of the interior announced yesterday that six persons were kidnapped from the offices of a Saudi contracts company in Baghdad. They are one American, one Asian and six Iraqis.
Col. Adnan Abdul Rahman said "according to recent information, 6 persons were kidnapped from the headquarters of the Saudi Arab company for trade and contracts in al-Mansour." He added " there are one American, one Asian, whose nationality was not defined and four Iraqis, all of them are kidnapped." However, another source in the police said that the new kidnapped is of a Nepalese nationality. Abdul Rahman added that three Iraqis (guards) were kidnapped while the attackers killed the fourth guard.
A source in the police explained that the attackers broke into the house which is heavily guarded at a time of al-Iftar. Citizens say that one guard was outside while all others were having their Iftar (dinner) inside and he exchanged fire with the attackers. The lawyer of the company said that the body of guard Ali Hassan is torn by bullets before the company's headquarters and that the gunmen kidnapped the other three guards and three employees including one Asian. The body of one attacker was found inside the house which means that the hostages resisted the kidnapping operation.
The British engineer Ken Begley and two Americans were kidnapped in the same quarters on September 16 and were slaughtered later.
Meantime, pressures have been renewed on the Japanese prime minister J. Kuweizomi after a Japanese base in al-Samawa city was bombarded yesterday.
The decision permitted dispatching a Japanese force to Iraq states that the soldiers should work in "non-combat area" only. The Japanese prime minister said yesterday to journalists that his forces are staying in al-Samawa.
On the other hand, the mother of the Sudanese hostage in Iraq Amena Idris Mousa called on his kidnappers to release him. She said that her son was obliged to work with the occupation forces in order to feed his family which came from Darfur. She indicated that her son Nour Eddin Zakaraya is working with an American company not because of his "love to the Americans, rather for ensuring food for me."