Indonesia confirms Iraq abduction

The kidnappers have made no demands

Indonesia has confirmed that two of its nationals are among 10 people seized by rebels in Iraq on Thursday.

A foreign ministry spokesman said the two women were from Jakarta.

A video aired on Arabic TV station al-Jazeera showed some of the hostages being paraded by a group named as the Islamic Army in Iraq.

The group said the two Indonesians - along with two Lebanese and six Iraqis who were also captured - worked for an electricity firm.

"We can confirm there are two Indonesian women being held in Iraq," foreign ministry spokesman Marty Natalegawa said.

"We are trying to ascertain why they are in Iraq. We have no knowledge right now of who the captors are, and we have not received any demands for their release."

He identified the women as Rosidah and Fafikan.

Al-Jazeera video

Four of the captives - all men, flanked by masked gunmen - were initially shown in the video by al-Jazeera.

The Qatar-based channel later aired more footage showing the two women.

"An armed group calling itself 'Islamic Army in Iraq - Western Region Command' has circulated a videotape in which it announced that it is holding 10 hostages," al-Jazeera said.

A Lebanese foreign ministry official confirmed that two Lebanese nationals had been kidnapped in Iraq.

It is not immediately clear if the militants form part of the same group which said it seized two French journalists last month.

More than 100 foreigners have been taken hostage in Iraq since April, including UK engineer Kenneth Bigley.