Syrian Foreign Ministry stresses release of kidnapped Iranians

Syrian Foreign Ministry officials on Thursday underlined the need for taking swift and appropriate measures to help release the kidnapped Iranian technicians. In a telephone conversation with Iran’s Ambassador to Damascus Mohammad-Reza Ra’ouf Sheibani, the Syrian officials briefed the Iranian envoy on the measures taken by their country to release the abducted Iranians. In related developments, Syrian Minister of Electricity Imad Mohammad Deeb Khamis talked with Sheibani on phone and voiced his country’s concern over the incident. He stressed that Damascus will do its best to help urgently release of the abducted Iranians. According to the Iranian embassy, five Iranian technicians, engaged in the Jondar 450 megawatt power plant project in Homs province, were heading to work at 06:30 am local time on December 20, 2011, when they were kidnapped by unknown armed men. Iranian engineers and technicians have undertaken projects worth over USD 1.7 billion in Syria.