Iraq hostage talks continuing

The men's families have suffered days of anguish waiting for news

Negotiations for the release of seven foreign lorry drivers being held in Iraq are continuing, India says.

Junior foreign minister E Ahamed said he was hopeful of success.

There had been conflicting reports about the status of the hostages - three Indians, three Kenyans and an Egyptian - seized nearly two weeks ago.

Kenyan officials said on Sunday the men had been freed, but their Kuwaiti employer flatly denied this, prolonging the anxious wait for relatives.

The kidnappers have threatened to kill the men if the Kuwaiti firm does not pull out of Iraq and if Kenya fails to remove all its civilian contractors who are working there.

Employer 'optimistic'

Mr Ahamed said in a statement the Indian government was "continuing with all its efforts to seek the early release of the hostages and their safe return".

What can we do but wait for the good news, despite the confusion Ram Dass Bains, father of Indian hostage

The outlook remains positive," he said, and urged patience.

The statement said the Kuwati employers and an Iraqi mediator who has been acting as a go-between with the kidnappers were still in touch and continuing talks.

But this could not be confirmed.

On Sunday the mediator said the kidnappers had told him to pull out of the negotiations.

"I am withdrawing because I have reached no agreement with the [men's employer] Kuwaitis," Sheikh Hisham al-Dulaimi said.

The Kuwaiti and Gulf Link Transport Company told BBC News Online on Monday it had asked Mr Dulaimi to reconsider, and said it was still "optimistic" about a breakthrough.

"The kidnappers have made a lot of new demands. We have agreed to all their demands," a spokeswoman said, refusing to go into details.

Relatives' ordeal

The conflicting reports about the "release" of the hostages has led to confusion among their families in India.

The men have been held for a fortnight

Indian television showed euphoric relatives on Sunday evening celebrating what they thought was the end of the ordeal - only for disappointment quickly to follow.

"What can we do but wait for the good news, despite the confusion?" Ram Dass Bains, father of one of the hostages, told the BBC in the northern state of Himachal Pradesh.

Relatives in Kenya expressed disappointment on Monday criticising the Kenyan authorities for giving them false hopes.

On Sunday, Kenyan Foreign Minister Ali Mwakwere said the three Kenyans had been released and they were at the Egyptian embasssy in Baghdad.

Subsequent reports from Iraq indicated the men were still being held.

The lorry drivers were seized by militants calling themselves the "Black Banners" brigade.

The Indian government has appealed to its citizens to refrain from travelling to Iraq.

On Saturday Delhi announced it was sending a senior diplomat to Baghdad to help negotiate the release of the three Indian drivers.