US civilian abducted in Basra

An American businessman has been abducted from his hotel in the British controlled Iraqi city of Basra by kidnappers disguised as policemen.

Basra police chief Colonel Khalaf al-Maleki said the abduction of the American, who was of Jordanian origin, took place on Thursday night. He had no further details.

Including the Basra abduction, at least 21 foreigners have been abducted over the past week in a wave of kidnappings coinciding with intense violence around the country.

The abduction in Basra appeared to be the furthest south that a kidnapping has taken place.

The vast majority of the abducted foreigners were snatched on roads west and south of Baghdad, where gunmen have run rampant the past week, attacking convoys and battling US troops.

At least two hostages, two Arab aid workers, are believed to have been taken in south-central Iraq.