BAGHDAD, July 21: A new hostage crisis erupted in Iraq on Wednesday, just a day after a kidnapped Filipino was freed, with guerrillas saying they had seized three Indians, two Kenyans and an Egyptian and threatening to kill them one by one.

In video footage given to the Al Arabiya television, masked gunmen said they would behead the captives unless the Kuwaiti company they worked for pulled out of Iraq.

"We announce we have captured two Kenyans, three Indians and one Egyptian. We tell the company to withdraw and close its offices in Iraq," said one of the masked men, from a group calling itself the "Black Banners". -Reuters

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