This press message was released by the Government of the State of Indrala.
HULSTRIAN JOURNALIST KIDNAPPED
Kigami, 22 August 2829 - Klaus Merkel, a journalist from the Greater Hulstrian Chronicle, was believed to have been abducted by members of the islamic militant group ILAI, officials said Tuesday. Masked gunmen have kidnapped the Hulstrian reporter from his hire car near the city of Shui in central Indrala, according to Indralan police.
Four gunmen are believed to have followed Klaus Merkel from his office in the city to his apartment, when he was intercepted on Sunday by armed men just outside Shui, a city in the west central highlands where ILAI, the Islamic Liberation Army of Indrala , is known to operate, the police said. ILAI is fighting for a separate Muslim state in the central area of Indrala. Mr Merkel's vehicle and his business card were found nearby. Albrecht König, the Hulstrian Chronicle 's bureau chief in Kigami said they had lost contact with Merkel but could not confirm he had been kidnapped.
ILAI is notorious for its kidnap-for-ransom activities and has victimized not only Indralans but also foreigners. The militants have been blamed for several major terrorist attacks across Indrala in recent decades and are the target of a sustained military campaign being supported by the Hulstrians. Although Hulstria and Indrala officials say this campaign has considerably weakened the group during the past ten years, analysts say the militants remain a high security threat.
The suspected abduction once again highlighted the security problems in Indrala. Mallorie Aureon, a spokesperson for President Nora Karuso, said the kidnapping could raise questions about the authorities’ control of the security situation. She said the president had already ordered the police force to do its best to find the abductees. Karuso, who is aiming for a second re-election in 2831, is very popular, but her popularity is declining over the recent years after many terrorist attacks and kidnappings by the muslim rebellions. Many politicians, even within her own Nationalista Party, are questioning Karuso's authority and power to fight the terrorists. Many consider her as a weak leader in this situation.
The Indralan News Network and the Greater Hulstrian Chronicle, in a short statement on Tuesday, confirmed that its crew was missing but stopped short of calling it a kidnapping. “All efforts are under way to find them and bring them home,” the network said.Signed,
the Government of the State of Indrala
