TEHRAN, Aug 5 (KUNA) -- Iran denied on Sunday press reports that kidnapped Iranian visitors in Syria were "military personnel." Official news agency quoted a well-informed source from the Iranian foreign ministry as saying that using such reports in regard to the captured Iranian convoy and kidnapped visitors who were traveling to Shiites' Zaineb Shrine, have "no legal bases and are irresponsible act by the media." Earlier, in a phone conversations held with his Turkish and Qatari foreign ministers Ahmet Davutoglu and Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem Al-Thani respectively, Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi requested both countries's immediate intervention to secure the release of the abducted Iranians.
Meanwhile, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hussain Abdulahyian was quoted by Iranian media outlets as saying that the kidnapping "operation was planned ahead, and aims to obstruct Iranian supporting effort to Syria." Last night, 48 Iranians travelling on a bus from the Damascus international airport to Zainab shrine on the outskirts of the Syrian capital were abducted by armed insurgents. (end) ms.mb KUNA 060055 Aug 12NNNN