Salehi slams Iranians' abduction in Syria

The Iranian foreign minister has condemned the abduction of several Iranian engineers by unknown armed gunmen in Syria, emphasizing that Iran will shore up efforts to secure the release of the abductees. Iran's Foreign Ministry and other relevant organizations have called on the Syrian government and the Arab League as well as some human rights organizations to join efforts for the release of the kidnapped Iranians, the Foreign Ministry's Information and Press Bureau quoted Ali Akbar Salehi as saying on Thursday. Salehi also said that the remaining employees of Iranian companies in Syria have, through coordinated efforts of Iran's Embassy in Damascus, been relocated to a safe place. Eight technicians including five Iranian electrical engineers were kidnapped by unknown armed gunmen on their way to a power plant in the troubled Syrian city of Homs on Tuesday. The technicians have been building the city's Jandar power plant for the past two years. Iranian engineers and experts are currently implementing development projects in Syria, valued at more than 1.7 billion dollars. Iran seeks to raise the value of economic exchange with Syria to five billion dollars. On Wednesday, Iran's embassy in Damascus issued a statement calling on the Syrian government to take immediate action for the release of five abducted Iranian engineers and identify the abductors. The Syrian city of Homs has been the scene of unrest that began in mid-March, with demonstrations being held both against and in favor of President Bashar al-Assad. Armed gangs have recently kidnapped many Syrian civilians and security forces in the city.