An Iraqi group has threatened to kill three Japanese hostages within three days.

Elsewhere, eight South Koreans and a Briton have also been kidnapped in Iraq.

Arab TV station Al Jazeera reports that, if the Japanese government fails to pull out its troops by the deadline, the group will burn the three hostages alive.

The station has shown video pictures of the three hostages - two men and a woman - and their passports.

The woman's passport gave her name as Takato Nahoko. The names on the men's passports were Noriaki Imai and Soichiro Koriyama.

Two are believed to be journalists, the third an aid worker.

All three were shown blindfolded and then without blindfolds. They did not appear to be hurt or agitated.

Al Jazeera says they were seized by a previously unknown group called Saraya al-Mujahideen.

constructive spam atleast tho mani <img src=../images/smile.gif width=15 height=15 border=0>

err all that crap was a smilie

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Quote: Felon
constructive spam atleast tho mani <img src=../images/smile.gif width=15 height=15 border=0>

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hmm, looks like I broke smilies

Fixed