The two were seized at a detergent plant inside an industrial complex surrounding Baiji's oil refinery, Iraq’s largest, in the early hours of the morning.

Lieutenant Colonel Kadhem Abbas, spokesperson for the Joint Coordination Centre for Iraqi security forces and the U.S. military in the province, and the region's deputy governor Abdullah Jubara confirmed the men had been seized.

"At 8:00 am (0600 UTC), men wearing army uniforms aboard civilian cars entered the compound and, at gunpoint, took two German engineers working for an Arab firm making detergents," Abbas said.

Abbas named the two, transliterating their names from Arabic, as Thomas Wischke and Rebiti Drata. No other details were available.

The German embassy in Baghdad was unable to immediately confirm the incident.

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