Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak asked to be kept informed of the abduction of the top Egyptian diplomat in Iraq, the official MENA news agency reported Sunday.

Presidential spokesman Suleiman Awad said Mubarak directed Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit to contact the Iraqi authorities and report back to him with the latest developments.

Abul Gheit said earlier the government was maintaining contacts with the Iraqi government on the latest efforts in search for Ihabal-Sherif, who went missing earlier on Sunday.

Abul Gheit said if Sherif was abducted, he hoped that the Egyptian diplomat would be treated kindly and return to his family as soon as possible.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for taking Sherif hostage.

Another report from MENA quoted a source from the Egyptian diplomatic mission in Iraq as saying that Sherif was most likely abducted.

The sources said Sherif did not arrive at the Egyptian embassy's premise on Sunday, something that strengthens the possibility that he has been kidnapped.

Sherif was appointed as head of the Egyptian diplomatic mission in Iraq in June.

(Xinhua News Agency July 4, 2005)