Top Iraqi Shiite cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani urged on Saturday the release of 18 Turkish workers kidnapped in Baghdad's Sadr city by unknown gunmen earlier this month.

He condemned targeting innocent people as immoral act that tarnishes the image of Islam.

He said such practices also harm the prestige of the state and sap the elected government.

In a statement Saturday, a well –placed source at Sistani's office urged supporting the government and security forces to secure the release of the Turkish workers – who were working on a football stadium project.

The call came after a Shiite group self-styled death squad wired a footage claiming responsibility for the abduction and demanding Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to prevent gunmen influx from Turkey into Iraq and plug the flow of stolen oil through the Turkish lands.

The video showed five masked men in black uniform standing behind men said to be the kidnapped Turkish workers.

Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al Jaafari considered the attack as an attempt to harm the Iraqi-Turkish ties.

Source: MENA