The female aid worker kidnapped in Iraq is an Irish citizen, the Department of Foreign Affairs has confirmed.
Arabic television station Al Jazeera
broadcast a video of Ms Margaret Hassan, who has lived in Iraq since the early 1970s.
British-based charity Care International confirmed earlier today that Ms Hassan, the charity's head of operations in Iraq, had been kidnapped in Baghdad.
She was kidnapped
at around
7.30 a.m. local time or 5.30 a.m. Irish time.
The video broadcast on Al Jazeera
showed Ms Hassan sitting in a room and looking anxious. No audio could be heard.
The station showed close-ups of Ms Hassan's identification cards and said the video was accompanied by a claim of responsibility from an unnamed Iraqi group.
"The Iraqi group did not identify itself or give demands," Al Jazeera said.
A television official said the station had received the video from sources after Ms Hassan's kidnapping, but declined to give any further details.
Ms Hassan, who has lived in Iraq for around 30 years, has been working for the charity since it started operations there in the early 1990s.
A Department of Foreign Affairs spokesman confirmed Ms Hassan is an Irish citizen and that she had been living in Iraq since the early 1970s. He
said the department is in contact with the aid agency and with her family, some of whom still live in Ireland.
"We are stressing that she considers herself an Iraqi national," a CARE International spokeswoman said.
The agency said it was unaware of a motive for the abduction. "As far as we know, Margaret is unharmed," a statement said.
"She has been providing humanitarian relief to the people of Iraq in a professional career spanning more than 25 years.
"Needless to say, we are doing whatever we can to secure her release. "But equally, it would be unhelpful for us to comment further at this time. "Our overwhelming concern must be for Margaret's safety."
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Dermot Ahern, has called for Mrs Hassan's "immediate and unconditional" release. "Mrs Hassan is a leading aid worker who has devoted many years to helping the Iraqi people," Mr Ahern said.
Mr Ahern said Department of Foreign Affairs officials have already been in touch with her immediate family. "I am very concerned about Mrs Hassan's safety and I and my officials stand ready to contribute in any way we can to help secure her release. Our thoughts and prayers are with Margaret and her family at this difficult time," he said.