Berlin says has video connected to German hostages

BERLIN, Apr 9 (Reuters) The German government has received a video in connection with the two German hostages held captive in Iraq, the Foreign Ministry today said.

''We have a video,'' a spokeswoman for the ministry said, adding it was being examined at the moment.

She said the video was ''roughly in context'' with the kidnapping of the two engineers from the eastern German town of Leipzig and had been received by the ministry today.

The spokeswoman declined to comment on its content.

Rene Braeunlich and Thomas Nitzschke were abducted on January 24 outside their workplace in the industrial town of Baiji, 180 km north of Baghdad.

In February, 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.

Reuters SY DB1944