Berlin concerned over fate of its kidnapped in Iraq

Germany has announced concern over the fate of the two German hostages seized in Iraq after an armed group threatened to kill them if Berlin will not respond to its demand of closing its embassy in Baghdad within three days.

The German foreign minister Franc Walter said that the situation is drastic, noting that he does not know when the grace period set by the kidnappers expires. The kidnappers in their recording broadcast by al-Jazeera TV on Tuesday dated January 29th.

The German minister expressed his country's worries and shock over the pictures broadcast in the recording showing the two engineers who were kidnapped on January 24 in Beji north of Baghdad beside two veiled men pointing their weapons at them.

On the same file, gunmen on Wednesday kidnapped two journalists working for the Iraqi al-Samereyah channel. One is called Marwan Ghazalle and the woman is called Reem Zayed after they took part in the activities of a press conference at the headquarters of the Iraqi Islamic Party in al-Yarmouk area west of Baghdad.