Indian concern over Iraq hostages

The group linked its hostages to "US cowboy occupiers"

India has appealed to a little known Iraqi group to release three Indians taken hostage in Iraq.

The family of one of the hostages has also told the BBC it is hoping that he will be freed soon.

A group, calling itself The Holders of the Black Banners, seized seven truck drivers - three Indians, three Kenyans and an Egyptian on Wednesday.

It has threatened to start killing them unless their employer, a Kuwaiti company, pulls out of Iraq.

The company, the Kuwait and Gulf Link Transport Company, has also appealed for their release.

'All out efforts'

Indian Foreign Minister Natwar Singh has issued an appeal through Arab satellite television channel Al Jazeera asking for the three Indians to be released.

Indian Foreign Minister Singh - help needed from 'influential' people

He said his government was making "all out efforts" to secure the early release of the hostages.

"We have all been very shocked and distressed at the kidnapping of the three Indian nationals," he told journalists in the Pakistani capital Islamabad, where he's attending a regional summit.

"They are non-combatants. They are innocent people.

"I would appeal to all those who have influence to assist in ensuring safe return home of these innocent people," he said.

Mr Singh said he hoped the issue would be resolved soon because India had taken a stand not to send troops to Iraq.

The Indian ambassador to Iraq, Brij Bhushan Tyagi, is travelling to Baghdad from Delhi to help secure their release.

Family shocked

The family of one of the Indians held, Antaryami, says they first came to know of his situation from television news channels late on Wednesday.

"His wife and parents are in a state of shock," his uncle Ram Dass told BBC News Online, adding that they had not heard from his nephew's employers or the government.

"He's a truck-driver, a responsible man with a family. We pray that he is safe and comes back soon," he said.

Mr Antaryami had been hired by the Kuwaiti company in November 2003 and had spoken to his family as recently as Wednesday.

Threat

The group made its threat in a statement issued to news agencies and in a videotape aired by al-Arabiya television.

It said it would behead one of its hostages every 72 hours if the company did not leave the country.

The statement set a deadline starting at 2000 local time (1600 GMT) on Wednesday.

The militants also called on India, Kenya and Egypt - none of which have troops in Iraq - to withdraw their personnel.

Officials say they are surprised at the incident because Indians have not been targeted before.

"The Indian government has banned its citizens from working in Iraq. But there's no way to monitor thousands of Indians out there," the AFP news agency quoted an unnamed foreign ministry official as saying.

Some three million Indians are said to be working in the Gulf region and an estimated 100,000 in Iraq.