Niger captors threaten to kill Italians - radio

DAKAR, Aug 25 (Reuters) A group identifying itself as a Saharan rebel movement threatened to kill two Italian tourists kidnapped this week in eastern Niger if the army attacked to release them, Radio France International reported today.

''The two hostages are here, sitting beside us,'' a man who said he represented the Front of Armed Revolutionary Forces of the Sahara told the radio station, which translated his comments from a local language.

''We are very well armed. If the army dares attack us, we will kill the hostages and flee to the mountains,'' he said.

He added the Italians had been kidnapped because Niger's government had not respected peace accords struck with nomadic tribes after a rebellion in the 1990s and because Niger's army had killed their leader, without giving further details.

The pair were captured after an attack on Monday on a group of more than 20 tourists, most of them Italians, who were travelling in a convoy of off-road vehicles when they were surrounded by bandits near the border with Chad.

The rest of the group were released on Tuesday. Diplomats had said on Thursday the identity of the attackers was unknown and no contact had been established with them.

REUTERS VJ BST0134