FACTBOX-Foreign hostages in Iraq
Source: Reuters
Feb 6 (Reuters) - Gunmen in Iraqi army uniforms kidnapped a senior Iranian diplomat in Baghdad on Sunday, an Iraqi government official said on Tuesday. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini confirmed Jalal Sharafi, second secretary at the embassy in the Baghdad, was seized by a group related to Iraq's Defence Ministry. More than 200 foreigners and thousands of Iraqis have been kidnapped since the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. At least 60 foreign hostages have been reported executed by their captors -- 41 in 2004, 13 in 2005 and 6 in 2006. The following is a list of foreigners kidnapped since the beginning of 2005 and believed to be still missing in Iraq: HOSTAGE NATIONALITY DATE OF CAPTURE 2005: Mohammed Haroun Hamad Sudan March 9* Maher Ataya Sudan March 9* Nabil Tawfiq Sulaiman Egypt March 19 Mitwali Mohammed Qassem Egypt March 19 Jeffrey Ake U.S. April 11 Six unidentified Jordan May 6 Ali Abdullah Turkey June 7 Unidentified Turkey June 21* Samuel Edward Egypt Sept 26 Abderrahim Boualam Morocco Oct 20 Abdelkrim El Mouhafidim Morocco Oct 20 Six unidentified Sudan Dec 23
2006: Moses Munyao Kenya Jan 18 George Noballa Kenya Jan 18 Three unidentified Kenya July 28* Four unidentified U.S. Nov 16 One unidentified Austria Nov 16 Four unidentified South Africa Dec 10
2007: One American U.S. Jan 5 Jalal Sharafi (diplomat) Iran Feb 4 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - NOTES - *Date kidnap announced.
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