Two Italian women kidnapped in
Syria are not in the hands of Islamic militant group ISIS, Mario
Giro, undersecretary of foreign affairs, said Friday.
It had been feared that Vanessa Marzullo and Greta Ramelli
had been taken by the same group responsible for the beheading
on Wednesday of American journalist James Foley.
Giro would say little about the women and urged "the utmost
discretion" in discussing the case.
The videotape of Foley's beheading had circulated widely
one day before newspaper reports that ISIS was holding a number
of foreign nationals including two Italian women.
The article in The Guardian newspaper triggered fears for
the two women, who were kidnapped in late July.
However, an Arab newspaper reported Thursday that the two
women were in "good health" and being held for ransom by a
Syrian opposition group.
Al Quds al Arabi newspaper which, citing a source in the
Islamic rebel group Ahrar ash Sham, reported that a ransom was
in the works for the two kidnapped women, and that they could be
released soon.
Marzullo, 21, and Ramelli, 20, were seized in the war-torn
Syrian city of Aleppo shortly after they arrived in Syria on
July 28 to work on health and water-related humanitarian aid
projects.
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