5 Iranian technicians abducted in Syria
Press TV reports electrical engineers contracted to build Homs power plant kidnapped at gunpoint. Iranian Embassy in Damascus confirms incident
Eight technicians working in Syria, including five Iranian electrical engineers, were abducted on Wednesday by unknown armed gunmen in the city of Homs, Iran's Press TV reported.
The technicians were reportedly part of a team contracted to build a local power plant. They have been stationed in Syria for over the past two years.
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The website did not offer any more detailes. The Al Watan Daily's website said that the five were abducted while they were riding a local taxi. Homs has been one of the stormy scenes of the unrest sweeping through Syria.
Syria's state news agency SANA reported that eight engineers "of different nationalities" disappeared after heading by bus to their work at a power plant in Homs province.
According to the Mehr news agency, the Iranian Embassy in Damascus confirmed that the abduction had taken place
Iran, Syria's closest regional ally, has welcomed Syria's agreement this week to admit Arab League monitors to oversee its implementation of a plan aimed at ending unrest in Syria.
Iran's Minister of Road and Urban Development Ali Nikzad announced last week that Tehran would come to Syria's economic help should Western powers choose to impose financial sanctions on Damascus.
The United Nations has said more than 5,000 people have been killed in President Bashar Assad's crackdown on nine months of protests inspired by street uprisings in the Arab world that have overthrown the leaders of Tunisia, Egypt and Libya.
Roi Kais and Reuters contributed to this report
