Related: France says to examine video on French hostage in Iraq

A video, aired on the satellite Arab news channel, shows the French engineer, identified as Bernard Planche, is sitting on a a chair with two armed men on either side of him. (Xinhua/Reuters photo)

    CAIRO, Dec. 28 (Xinhuanet) - A militant group in Iraq threatened Wednesday that it abducted a Frenchman and would kill him unless France ended its "illegitimate presence" in Iraq, Dubai-based Al-Arabiya television reported.

    The little-known group, calling itself "Surveillance for the Sake of Iraq Brigade", made the threats in a released video of the French engineer kidnapped in Iraq three weeks ago.

    The video, an excerpt of which was aired on the satellite Arab news channel, showed the hostage, identified as Bernard Planche, sitting on a chair with two armed men on either side of him.

    The kidnapped man, with a dark polo shirt, said he worked on water projects in Baghdad. "I am sorry for everything that has happened ... I want to thank all those who are trying to help me."

The kidnapped French engineer, identified as Bernard Planche (Xinhua/Reuters photo)

    French and Iraqi officials said Planche was an employee of a non-governmental organisation and worked at the Rusafa water treatment plant in eastern Baghdad.

    The abduction came amid a flare-up of kidnappings in Iraq.

    It was reported that over 250 foreigners have been kidnapped by insurgents in the past two years, aiming to drive out international troops from Iraq or prevent Arab nations from increasing their ties with the Baghdad government.

    However, France, which sharply opposed the 2003 U.S.-led war on Iraq, has not sent any forces to the war-torn country. Enditem