MOSUL, Iraq - The Islamic Army in Iraq, an armed group that has taken several foreigners hostage, said Saturday it had kidnapped the financial officer of an Iraqi army base near Mosul and his deputy.
The group claimed responsibility on a compact disc distributed in this northern Iraqi town, containing recordings dated February 3 and 7.
Footage showed the two men blindfolded and hands tied together, and then the two individuals with their faces visible and holding up their identity cards.
It also shows a ledger of amounts paid to soldiers at the Kasak base some 40 kilometers west of Mosul. The men are shown standing near a banner bearing the name of the group.
The CD, the authenticity of which was not immediately confirmed, was accompanied by a commentary that said the two men were kidnapped "as they travelled to Baghdad, between Kirkuk and the province of Diyala, in the belief that they had escaped the eyes of the Mujahadeen."
"They failed in their plan and fell easily into the hands of the Mujahedeen, which seized sums of money and important documents," the commentary said.
"The two men will appear before the Islamic courts which will decide their fates," it said.
The Islamic Army in Iraq has kidnapped several foreigners and in some cases killed their hostages. The group was responsible for the August 2004 killing of Italian journalist Enzo Baldoni.
It also claimed responsibility for the kidnapping of French journalists Christian Chesnot and Georges Malbrunot, who were released in December after four months captivity.
03/05/2005 15:59 GMT