Three foreign nationals believed to be US citizens disappeared close to northern Iraq's border with Iran, Iraqi security officials have said.
A security official in Sulaimaniya said four tourists had arrived in the Kurdish city 260km northeast of Baghdad, from Arbil, the capital of Iraq's largely autonomous Kurdish region on Wednesday.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry, responding to reports of their arrest, said: "The issue of their arrests is under investigation," without giving details. The Iranian embassy in Baghdad said it had no information.
On Thursday, three of the group went on to the Ahmed Awa tourist resort, known for its waterfalls, some 150km east of Sulaimaniya, near the Iranian border. The fourth member of the group was ill and remained in Sulaimaniya.
The official said he believed the travellers may have stumbled into Iranian territory.
"They phoned their friend in Sulaimaniya and told him 'We are in trouble and are being held by soldiers who are not speaking Kurdish or Arabic'," he said.
One of the group was believed to be an Arabic speaker.
US officials could not confirm the report.
Reuters