Iraq group 'holding two Germans'

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A militant Islamist group in Iraq which says it has two German hostages has threaten to kill them if Berlin does not pull its troops from Afghanistan.

The previously unknown group posted a video on an Islamist website showing masked gunmen threatening a woman and a man said to be her son.

The woman, wearing a blue headscarf and weeping, appeals to Chancellor Angela Merkel to respond to the demands.

Last month, Germany confirmed two of its nationals were missing in Iraq.

The militant group, which calls itself the Arrows of Righteousness, said: "We give the German government 10 days from the date of this statement to announce and start the withdrawal of its troops from Afghanistan."

The video shows a German passport with what appears to be the surname of the female hostage as Kadhim, with her maiden name as Krause and her first names as Hannelore Marianne.

A German foreign ministry spokesman said Berlin was examining the statement.