ROME, Feb 4 (AFP) - Italy, which had another one of its nationals taken hostage in Iraq on Friday, has had its soldiers and citizens frequently targeted by insurgents since Italian troops were deployed in the country.
Gunmen kidnapped in broad daylight near a Baghdad mosque Giuliana Sgrena, 56, a veteran Middle East correspondent for the leftist Il Manifesto daily, only moments after the woman journalist called her newspaper to say she was safe.
Italy, which sent 3,000 troops to the southern Nasiriyah area in 2003, was the first coalition member to have one of its nationals kidnapped and killed.
Gunmen who demanded the withdrawal of Italian troops executed Fabrizio Qattrocchi on April 14 last year, two days after he had been abducted.
Three other Italians who were taken captive with him were released safe and sound on June 8.
Gunmen also sought to force Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi to withdraw Italian troops when they took journalist Enzo Baldoni hostage on August 19.
On August 24, they gave Rome an extra 48 hours to begin removing its troops, but with no withdrawal forthcoming on August 26 the Qatari-based Al-Jazira television reported Baldoni had been killed by his captors.
Less than two weeks later Italy was plunged once again into a hostage ordeal when two female aid workers were taken captive.
The plight of Simona Torretta and Simona Pari, both 29, caused a public outcry in Italy and forced the government to intensify efforts to secure the release of hostages.
The announcement of their execution by two Islamic websites on September 23 caused intense angst in Italy, but the reports were not confirmed.
Both were finally released safe and sound on September 28 after three weeks in captivity.
In October gunmen assassinated Ayad Anuar Wali, an Iraqi businessman who had lived in Italy for more than two decades, accusing him of being a spy for Rome.
On December 16, an Islamic group claimed the assassination of Italian Salvatore Santoro, according to Al-Jazira which broadcast video purporting to show the murder.
His kidnapping had been reported the day before.
Twenty Italian soldiers have been killed in Iraq since the contingent was deployed in an operation called "Antique Babylon".
Seventeen soldiers and two civilians lost their lives in a suicide attack on the headquarters of Italian para-military carabiniers in Nasariyah.
It was the single largest loss of life for the Italian military since World War II.
Three other soldiers have been killed since, including two in patrols in Nasariyah.
02/04/2005 18:20 GMT - AFP