|
13 April 2004 - Eight kidnapped employees of a Russian electric power consortium in Iraq have been released, the company's executive director Alexander Rybinsky says.
Russia's company Inter Energo Services, whose employees were kidnapped in Iraq, is considering the possibility of stopping its activity in Iraq, RBC TV quoted company's representative. Earlier, the company concluded several agreements for the reconstruction of an electric power plant in Baghdad with the new Iraqi administration.
Five of the workers were Ukrainian nationals. The other three were Russian. They were all said to be in good health.
The abductors did not make contact with the company, Inter Energo Services, and had made no demands, according to Rybinsky.
According to the company Web site, IES, which has 365 employees in Iraq, has contracts to repair power plants in Nasiriya, in southern Iraq, and in Baghdad.
Several Russian power and manufacturing companies are involved in the group, which has been working in Iraq since 1997.
Rybinsky said a group of masked armed men stormed into a company building in Baghdad Monday, overpowering armed guards, taking nine employees hostage and then driving them away. One employee was later released.
The Russian government said Tuesday it was considering a plan to evacuate all Russian nationals from Iraq, and the company itself says it is independently looking at a plan to evacuate all of its workers.
Russia, France, Germany and China opposed US-led military action in Iraq, and have not contributed any forces to the US-led coalition there.
Interfax says Russia has about 500 specialist workers in Iraq, working in energy sectors, many employed by a company building a power plant outside Baghdad. The Russian embassy in Baghdad is believed to number around 40 staff.
Militants are holding at least six other hostages in Iraq, and several more people have been reported missing.
| 
Articles 
| View all PennWell sites | View all PennWell events
Add RSS Feed
