Iraqi soldier kidnapped near Kirkuk

KIRKUK / IraqiNews.com: Unidentified gunmen kidnapped a soldier southwest of Kirkuk city on Thursday, a senior security official said. “Unidentified gunmen on Thursday (Feb. 5) kidnapped an Iraqi soldier in the area between al-Riad and al-Rashad districts (35 km) southwest of Kirkuk,” Brig. Sarhad Qader, the Kirkuk Districts’ Police Department chief, told IraqiNews.com news agency. “The gunmen escaped in the direction of Salah al-Din province,” the source added, not giving more details. The oil-rich city of Kirkuk lies 250 km northeast of the Iraqi capital Baghdad. AmR (P) 1