Baghdad, Aug. 8 (Reuters): Militants in Iraq have kidnapped an Iranian diplomat and accused him of inciting sectarian strife in the country.

A video tape from a group calling itself The Islamic Army in Iraq — which was reported to have killed two Pakistani hostages last month — today showed a bearded man, wearing a white shirt in front of a black banner bearing the group’s name.

It also showed a passport and business card which identified the hostage as Fereidoun Jahani, an Iranian embassy official in the Shia holy city of Karbala.

Iran’s embassy in Baghdad said Jahani had gone missing on Wednesday as he was travelling from Baghdad to take up the new post of consul in Karbala.

“The group said in a statement it had kidnapped the Iranian consul in Karbala because he had been involved in inciting sectarian strife and operating outside the sphere of diplomacy,” the Dubai-based satellite channel said.

“The group also warned Iran against flagrant interference in the affairs of Iraq,” the television added. It did not mention any threats against the hostage or demands by the group. Other identification cards were shown in the tape but could not be easily read.

The Islamic Army in Iraq had previously abducted a Filipino and threatened to kill him, but released him after the Philippines withdrew its forces from Iraq. The group also claimed the kidnapping of two Pakistanis and an Iraqi in July and threatened to kill them if their company did not pull out of the country.