ROME, Aug. 26 (Xinhuanet) -- Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini has called on the Iraqi militant group claiming to have kidnapped Italian journalist Enzo Baldoni to release him, local media reported Thursday.

    "To Baldoni's captors I say: free a journalist who has fought against the war, who has criticized us," Frattini said in an interview with Rome-based daily Il Messaggero.

    Frattini added Baldoni's reports had been critical of Italy's role in the US-led campaign in Iraq.

    In an exclusive interview with Qatar-based satellite televisional-Jazeera Wednesday night, Frattini said Baldoni is in Iraq to serve the Iraqis, help them, alleviate their suffering and publishimages of what is happening in Iraq.

    Earlier on Tuesday, al-Jazeera reported that an Iraqi militant group said it was holding an Italian who identified himself as Enzo Baldoni, a 56-year-old journalist, who also worked as a Red Cross volunteer in Iraq.

    The group gave Italy 48 hours to announce its pullout of troopsfrom Iraq. The Italian government has rejected the demand.

    Italy did not participate in the war on Iraq but has 3,000 troops in the country as part of a British-led multinational stabilization force in southern Iraq.

    Italy is prepared to pull its troops out of Iraq if the Iraqi interim government makes such a request, Frattini said.

    Baldoni's family is in constant touch with the Italian Foreign Ministry and has also sought the help of the Italian Red Cross (CRI) in Iraq.

    Maurizio Scelli, CRI chief in Iraq, said Wednesday night that his organization had contacted Iraqi religious leaders in an attempt to find Baldoni. Enditem