CAIRO, Egypt – A militant group in Iraq claimed it is holding 10 hostages working for an American-Turkish company in a tape broadcast by the Arabic television station Al-Jazeera (search) Saturday.
The previously unknown group, calling itself the "Salafist Brigades of Abu Bakr al-Siddiq" (search), gave an ultimatum of three days for the company to leave Iraq or it will kill the 10 hostages, the station's presenter said.
The Al-Jazeera presenter said the station received a copy of the tape but did not say how. The group identified the company as an American-Turkish (search) firm operating in Iraq, but did not give a name.
The station only aired a clip showing the 10 hostages, sitting under the banner of the group. The group didn't say what were the nationalities of the hostages, or where they were captured.
About 120 foreigners have been kidnapped in Iraq, and many have been killed by their captors. Insurgents have carried out most of the kidnappings in a bid to drive foreign companies out of Iraq and thwart the U.S.-led reconstruction of the country.
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