April 14 (Bloomberg) -- Two more Japanese citizens, including one journalist, were kidnapped in Iraq, Agence France- Presse Reported, citing Japanese opposition parliamentarian Yukihisa Fujita, speaking in Amman, Jordan.

``The two were abducted in Abu Gharib,'' Fujita said after a briefing at the Japanese Embassy by Senior Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Ichiro Aisawa, AFP reported. ``They were in a taxi on their way to shoot the helicopter which was shot down.''

Fujita identified the two victims as freelance journalist Junpei Yasuda and the other man simply by his family name Watanabe. He didn't have any information on who abducted the victims, AFP said. Abu Gharib is west of the Iraqi capital, Baghdad.

Three Japanese citizens were taken hostage about a week ago. In a videotape, the kidnappers said they would murder the hostages unless Japan withdraws its troops from the country. The victims' families said they hadn't received any information, though the Mainichi newspaper reported the victims are in good health and the insurgents have promised not to kill them, citing Mizhir Dulaimi, who claims to be acting as a mediator between the kidnappers and the Japanese government.

(AFP 4/14)

To contact the reporter on this story: Todd Zeranski in New York at tzeranski@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: April 14, 2004 15:53 EDT