Two German hostages in Iraq still alive - report

By Staff
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Google Oneindia News

BERLIN, Mar 9 (Reuters) The German government has received persuasive information that two German engineers who were abducted by gunmen six weeks ago have not been killed by their kidnappers, a German newspaper reported today.

''There is no reason to doubt that they are alive,'' an unnamed high-ranking security expert familiar with the case was quoted as saying by the Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper. The report gave no details about what information the government had.

Last month the militant group holding the two men, Ansar al-Tawhid Wa-Sunna, issued what it called a final ultimatum before killing the captives unless Berlin met its demands that Germany end cooperation with Baghdad, close its embassy and force all German firms to leave the country.

Since then the government has said that it had no information about Rene Braeunlich and Thomas Nitzschke, who were abducted on January 24 outside their workplace in the industrial town of Baiji, 180 km (110 miles) north of Baghdad.

The government is not in direct contact with the kidnappers, though it does have indirect channels of communication, the paper said. However, these channels are constantly interrupted given the hectic security situation in the country, it added.

Susanne Osthoff, a German archaeologist, was freed in December after being held hostage in Iraq for three weeks. German media have quoted unidentified diplomats as saying Berlin paid the kidnappers 5 million dollars for her release.

REUTERS SHR ND1556

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