DUBAI, April 14 (Reuters) - A group linked to al Qaeda said on Saturday it abducted 20 Iraqi troops and policemen and demanded the release of all Sunni women held in Iraq's prisons, according to a Web statement. The Internet posting by the self-styled Islamic State in Iraq carried pictures of rows of blindfolded men, most of them in either blue or brown uniforms, in front of the group's black banner. Their hands appeared to be bound behind their backs. "The Islamic state in Iraq gives the infidel government of (Prime Minister Nuri al-) Maliki 48 hours to comply with its demand or God's judgment (execution) shall be carried out against them," the statement said. The group also demanded that the government hand over to it Interior Ministry agents accused of involvement in the widely publicised alleged rape of a Sunni woman and other reported killings of Sunnis and rapes. The statement said the 20 men of various ranks, including a security unit commander according to the picture of his Interior Ministry identification card, were abducted northeast of Baghdad. It did not give the date of the kidnappings. The insurgent group, which was formed last year by al Qaeda's wing in Iraq and several smaller Sunni insurgent groups, has claimed responsibility for mass kidnappings and a series of major attacks.
