PARIS, Sept. 2 (Xinhuanet) -- French authorities were "almost sure" that the two French journalists held in hostage in Iraq were still alive on Wednesday evening, Jean de Belot, editor in chief of the French Daily Le Figaro, said Thursday at French radio Europe 1.

    De Belot said he had a "prudent hope" that they were still alive, adding he had indirect and serious contacts with some envoys, who were sent to Iraq for talks on rescuing the two hostages.

    The two Frenchmen, Christian Chesnot of Radio France Internationale and Georges Malbrunot of Paris daily Le Figaro, were reportedly kidnapped on their way from Baghdad to Najaf, Shiite holy city of Iraq, on Aug. 20.

    Late Saturday, a group calling itself the Islamic Army in Iraq claimed it had kidnapped Malbrunot and Chesnot.

    The Sunni Muslim group first gave Paris 48 hours, then extendedit for another 24 hours, to rescind its controversial ban on the wearing of Islamic headscarves in state schools and universities.

    Hours before the expiration of the second ultimatum on Tuesday evening, Al-Arabiya television reported the release of the two hostages was "imminent", but French Foreign Ministry's spokeswomanCecile Pozzo di Borgo denied it as rumors, saying "we cannot confirm them. Our efforts continue." Enditem