Two Macedonian contractors have been kidnapped near the southern Iraqi city of Basra, the British military said today.
British military spokesman Major Peter Cripps said they were abducted on Thursday while driving in a vehicle during routine work.
"The vehicle was stopped and the two men were taken away," he said, without providing more detail. "The Iraqi police has been informed and is investigating."
He said there were no immediate reports of a ransom being demanded.
Basra, Iraq's second city, has been relatively free of theviolence plaguing the central part of the country but it has witnessed kidnappings.
More than 200 foreigners and thousands of Iraqis have been abducted in the anarchy that followed the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.
Most foreign hostages have been released, but 54 are known to have been killed; more than 50 are still believed to be held.
