Reports on Arabic television say that one of four kidnapped Italian civilians working for a US security company in Iraq has been killed.
The Qatar-based Al Jazeera station said the kidnappers were threatening to kill the remaining three. The Italian Prime Minister, Silvio Berlusconi had earlier rejected a demand from the abductors to withdraw 3,000 of his country's troops from Iraq.
It is also reported that two more Japanese civilians, including a journalist, have been taken hostage. It is understood they were abducted near Baghdad. More than 40 foreign nationals are now listed as kidnapped or missing in Iraq.
Meanwhile, the 45-year-old French TV journalist, Alexandre Jordanov, who was taken hostage south of Baghdad on Sunday, has been freed.
Mr Jordanov was seized three days ago along with his cameraman, Ivan Cerieix, who was later released, according to his employer, the Paris-based CAPA television agency.
US warns of escalation of violence
The United States’ most senior military officer has said that violence in Iraq could escalate temporarily if the rebel Shi'ite cleric, Moqtada al-Sadr, is brought to justice.
The US Airforce General, Richard Myers, who is chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, made the comments at a news conference in Kuwait. The US military has said it would kill or capture al-Sadr and destroy his militia.
Forces loyal to the cleric have been fighting coalition troops in several centres in southern and central Iraq.
Troops from the US, Spain and Poland have assembled outside the holy city of Najaf, where al-Sadr is thought to be.
An envoy appointed by al-Sadr has said he has been asked to convey a set of peace proposals to US officials.
The cleric's envoy has said he has positive proposals to end the crisis, which he could not yet disclose.
Earlier, the Iranian Foreign Minister, Kamal Kharrazi, said the US wants his government's help to end the violence in Iraq.
Mr Kharrazi said the calls had come through the Swiss Embassy, which has been responsible for US interests in Tehran since the countries broke diplomatic relations after the 1979 Islamic revolution.
Russia to evacuate nationals
In a separate development, Russia has said it is sending aircraft to Iraq to evacuate hundreds of its nationals and citizens of ex-Soviet states.
Seven planes are due to return to Moscow tomorrow and on Friday carrying more than 800 contract workers who have volunteered to leave.
The move follows the kidnapping by insurgents earlier this week of three Russians and five Ukrainians, who were later released.
Five Iraqis killed in Fallujah
Meanwhile, five Iraqis have been killed and three wounded in clashes between US troops and guerrillas in the flashpoint city of Fallujah, despite a declared 48-hour extension to a five-day-old truce.
In another development, the president of the Philippines, Gloria Arroyo, has said she may withdraw her country's small force of troops and humanitarian workers from Iraq because of security concerns. Ms Arroyo is one of the US's strongest supporters.
