Iraq: British journo kidnapped
13/08/2004 07:50  - (SA)  

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Basra - A British journalist was abducted by gunmen from his hotel in the southern Iraqi city of Basra, according to the hotel's management.

The reporter registered under the name of James Andrew and is apparently working for the Sunday Telegraph

About 30 masked gunmen, some wearing police uniform, stormed into the Al-Diyafa hotel at about 21:00 and demanded from the receptionist to see the guest book, said a hotel employee, who wished to remain anonymous.

"One of them then said 'How dare you have foreigners in your hotel' and then they stormed upstairs," said the employee.

"He was bleeding"

"We then heard two shots and minutes later they were dragging the British journalist down and he was bleeding." Hotel owner Mohammed Uglah said gunmen found the man, shot him twice in the leg before taking him away. A British military spokesman in Basra would not confirm the kidnapping saying "we are working with the local authorities to establish the facts."

An AFP correspondent in Basra said he met with the British journalist on Wednesday afternoon shortly after he arrived from Baghdad.

"He told me he wanted to work on the Mehdi Army and oil topics and asked for my help," said Nawfal Hashim.

"We chatted for about half-an-hour at the hotel lobby."

Journalists have been killed

Hashim said he heard again from the journalist on Thursday by telephone to inquire about a demonstration that day against the US-led assault on Najaf.

Two British soldiers were killed in Basra over the past week in clashes with Sadr's militia, who have threatened to attack the area's vital oil infrastructure if the fighting was not stopped in Najaf.

The incident comes one day after a shadowy Shiite group calling itself Abu al-Abbas warned that it would kill all those cooperating with British troops in apparent retaliation for the United States-led assault on Najaf to the north.

"We will kill everyone working with British troops including contractors, interpreters and others," said a statement from the group.

- AFP

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