ROME, Dec. 15 (Xinhuanet) -- An Italian citizen working for a British non-governmental organization has been taken hostage in Iraq, the Italian news agency ANSA reported on Wednesday.

    The hostage was identified as Salvatore Santoro, 52, from the Campania region near Naples, the reported said, adding that a previously unknown group had claimed the kidnapping in a statementpublished on an Arabic-language website.

    Italian Foreign Ministry official Elisabeta Belloni said the ministry was investigating the claim with caution.

    "For now we have no confirmation," she said.

    Seven Italians have been taken hostage in Iraq since the beginning of the year. Two, including journalist Enzo Baldoni and a businessman of Iraqi origin, have been killed. The others have been released.

    Italy has deployed some 3,000 troops in Iraq and has been one of the staunchest supporters of the US-led war. Enditem