Published January 14, 2015
Insurgents in Iraq have kidnapped dozens of people in their campaign to drive out coalition forces and hamper reconstruction:
HELD HOSTAGE
— Enzo Baldoni, an Italian journalist. The Italian Foreign Ministry reported him missing on Aug. 20. Al-Jazeera on Aug. 24 broadcast a video from a militant group showing a man they claimed was Baldoni in captivity. He was believed to have been in Najaf when he disappeared.
— Twelve Nepalese workers were confirmed kidnapped on Monday, August 23, by the Nepalese Foreign Ministry. They were in Iraq working for a Jordan-based construction company. The workers were traveling in two cars on August 19, when they disappeared after crossing the border from Jordan. The following day, an Iraqi militant group posted a statement on its Web site claiming to have kidnapped the Nepalese workers. On Sunday, the site showed photos of 12 men it claimed were the hostages. The group has been linked to past unfounded claims of kidnappings.
— Aytullah Gezmen, of Turkey. Kidnapped July 27 or 28th. Worked for Bilintur, Turkish company providing laundry service for Jordanian firm in Iraq.
— Mustafa Koksal and Durmus Kumdereli, Turkish truck drivers. Kidnapped Aug. 14 outside Mosul after delivering water to U.S. base in Baghdad.
— Faridoun Jihani, Iranian consul to Karbala. In video made public Aug. 7, kidnappers accused Iran of meddling in Iraq's affairs.
— Vlada Abu Ghadi, Lebanese director of Lara construction company. Abducted July 31 in Baghdad.
— Ali Ahmed Moussa, Somali truck driver. In video aired July 29, insurgents threaten to kill him if his Kuwaiti employer doesn't leave Iraq.
— Raad Adnan, Iraqi general director of government-owned Al-Mansour Contracting Co. Kidnapped July 24.
— Ibrahim Khamis, Salm Faiz Khamis and Jalal Awadh of Kenya; Antaryami, Tilak Raj and Sukdev Singh of India; Mohammed Ali Sanad of Egypt. Truck drivers abducted July 21. Militants threatened to behead them if Kuwaiti employer keeps doing business in Iraq and their countries do not withdraw citizens.
— Rifat Mohammed Rifat of Canada. Prison worker. Abducted April 8.
— Aban Elias, 41, Iraqi-American. Held since May 3 by group calling itself the Islamic Rage Brigade.
HOSTAGES KILLED
— Murat Yuce, of Turkey. Shot and killed in video made public Aug. 2. Worked for Bilintur, Turkish company providing laundry service for Jordanian firm in Iraq.
— Raja Azad, 49, engineer, and Sajad Naeem, 29, driver, both Pakistani, working for Kuwaiti-based firm. Slain July 28. Group calling itself Islamic Army in Iraq said they were killed because Pakistan considering sending troops to Iraq.
— Georgi Lazov, 30, and Ivaylo Kepov, 32, Bulgarian truck drivers. Last heard from June 29. Abducted by militants loyal to Jordanian terror suspect Abu Musab al-Zarqawi (search). Lazov's headless body found July 14 in Tigris River. Kepov's decapitated body found in the Tigris July 22.
— U.S. Army Spc. Keith M. Maupin, 20, of Batavia, Ohio. Disappeared April 9 after an attack on a fuel convoy. Arab television reported June 29 that he was killed. U.S. military could not confirm that man shown being shot in videotape was Maupin.
— Kim Sun-il, 33, South Korea translator. Beheaded June 22 by Al Qaeda-linked group.
— Hussein Ali Alyan, 26, Lebanese construction worker. Found shot to death June 12. Lebanese Foreign Ministry say he was killed for lack of ransom and his killing was not politically motivated.
— Fabrizio Quattrocchi, 35, Italian security guard. Killed April 14 after being kidnapped April 12. Previously unknown group, the Green Battalion, claimed responsibility.
— Nicholas Berg (search), 26, American businessman. Beheaded by Al Qaeda-linked group after being kidnapped in April.
ESCAPED HOSTAGES
— Thomas Hamill (search), 44, American truck driver. Escaped May 2 after being wounded in April 9 ambush on fuel convoy.
— Radoslaw Kadri, Polish businessman. Escaped by kicking car window and jumping out near U.S. troops after abduction June 1.
HOSTAGES FREED OR RESCUED
— Micah Garen (search), freelance Western journalist, and Amir Doushi, Iraqi translator. Seized by gunmen Aug. 13 at market in Nasiriyah. He was released at offices of rebel Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr after the cleric's aides appealed for his freedom.
— Taha al-Jundi and Khaldoun Othman, Lebanese truck drivers. Kidnapped early August. Freed Aug. 16.
— James Brandon, British freelance journalist. Kidnapped Aug. 12 from hotel in Basra. Freed Aug. 13.
— Jamal Sadeq al-Salaymeh, Jordanian businessman. Abducted Aug. 9 in Baghdad by kidnappers who demanded $250,000. Freed Aug. 12.
— Antoine Antoun, Lebanese businessman. Abducted in Baghdad July 31. Freed Aug. 10.
— Kassem Murqbawi and Nasser Othman, Lebanese truck drivers. Kidnapped early August. Freed Aug. 9.
— Fayez Saad al-Udwan and Mohammad Ahmed al-Manaya'a, Jordanian truck drivers. Kidnapped July 26. Freed Aug. 9.
— Ahmad Sunokrot, a Jordanian businessman, and Ahmad Abu-Jaafar, Mohammad Khleifat and Khaled Ibrahim Sasoud, Jordanian truck drivers. Kidnapped in late July. Freed Aug. 3 by tribal sheik from Fallujah and his armed men who overpowered kidnappers.
— Abdulrahran Demir and Sait Unurlu, Turkish truck drivers. Released Aug. 4 after Turkish trucking union agreed to halt deliveries to U.S. forces.
— Vladimir Damaa, Lebanese director of a construction company in Baghdad. Freed Aug. 1, a day after being abducted.
— Mehmet Dayar, Turkish driver. Abducted July 17. Freed after promising not to return to Iraq.
— Mohammed Mamdouh Helmi Qutb, Egyptian diplomat. Abducted July 23. Militants said they seized him because Egypt said it would send security experts to Iraq. Freed July 26.
— Iraqi driver Omar Khaled Selman, kidnapped with two Pakistanis. Released July 28 after militants announced the Pakistanis were killed.
— Angelo dela Cruz, Filipino truck driver. Kidnapped July 4. Freed July 22 after Philippines withdrew 51 troops from Iraq.
— Also freed: 13 Turks, five Japanese, three Czechs, three Italians, two Lebanese, two Russians, an Egyptian, a Pakistani, a Frenchman, a Chinese citizen, a Pole, a Syrian-Canadian, and an Arab Christian from East Jerusalem.
MISSING IN IRAQ
— William Bradley and Timothy Bell. American contract truckers last seen April 9 after convoy attack.
RETURNED FROM IRAQ
— Marine Cpl. Wassef Ali Hassoun (search). Failed to report for duty in Iraq June 20. Videotaped images showed him apparently kidnapped. Emerged unharmed in Lebanon, July 8. Brought back to the United States. Denies having deserted.
https://www.foxnews.com/story/background-hostages-in-iraq