SAMARRA, Iraq, Oct 9 (AFP) - A Turkish driver was taken hostage and another injured when their convoy was attacked near the restive city of Baiji in northern Iraq on Saturday, a police officer said.
The Turkish embassy was unable to confirm the report, which it said it was investigating.
"Unknown assailiants attacked a convoy of about four lorries at about 10 am (0700 GMT) with rocket-propelled grenade fire," said police Captain Mizhar Khalaf.
One of the tankers caught fire, injuring the driver who later had his leg amputated in hospital, Khalaf told AFP.
"They then kidnapped one of the other drivers and took him to an unknown destination," he said, adding that the ambush happened near a national guard checkpoint outside Baiji, 200 kilometres (125 miles) north of Baghdad.
Iraq has been plagued by a hostage-taking epidemic, terrorising hundreds of foreigners and locals. Some have been released -- many for ransom -- others executed and the fate of the rest is unknown.
The attack came one day after British hostage Kenneth Bigley was confirmed dead, having been beheaded by his captors.
Turkish nationals, driving convoys of supplies across Iraq to US army bases, are an easy target, with five drivers known to have been kidnapped and killed.
Separately, Captain Khalaf said bandits elsewhere kidnapped the son of an Iraqi police officer who works in a liaison office with the US Army.