Iran says all pilgrims abducted in Syria in good health: official

TEHRAN, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- An Iranian Foreign Ministry official said all Iranian pilgrims abducted in Syria are in good health, rejecting reports that some of them have been killed, Press TV reported on Thursday.

"The contacts made to obtain information on the fate of the pilgrims show that they are all in good health and there is no indication that some of them have been martyred," Mojtaba Ferdowsipour, the head of the Middle East affairs department in the Iranian Foreign Ministry, was quoted as saying.

A total of 48 Iranian pilgrims were abducted Saturday by militants in the Syrian capital Damascus.

Media reported on Monday that three seized Iranians in Syria have been killed and Syrian rebels have threatened to kill the other abducted Iranians if the Syrian army did not stop its attack.

However, Ferdowsipour rejected reports and said that further efforts are underway to rescue the pilgrims to Iran immediately, said Ferdowsipour.

Iran's Foreign Minister Ali-Akbar Salehi said Wednesday the Islamic republic has asked Turkey to help release the abducted and the latter promised to do their best in this regard.

Salehi visited Ankara on Tuesday and discussed the abduction of Iranian pilgrims in Syria with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu. Enditem