Australian hostage Douglas Wood sighted

CANBERRA - Australian mufti Sheikh Taj Aldin Alhilali says he has seen kidnapped Australian hostage Douglas Wood and he is alive and relatively well, a spokesman said today.

Ikebal Patel, from the Federation of Islamic Councils, said he had spoken to Sheikh Alhilali in Iraq, who confirmed he had seen Mr Wood in the flesh.

He said Mr Wood had received medication for his heart condition and the mufti was now working on his immediate release.

Mr Wood, 63, a Californian-based Australian engineer, was abducted in late April, shortly before a militant group, calling itself the Shura Council of the Mujahideen of Iraq, released a DVD on May 1 showing him pleading for Australia to withdraw it 1400 troops from Iraq. The Australian government has refused to bend to the terrorists' demands.

"He said to me: 'I've seen him eye to eye', those were the words he used, eye to eye, it was Douglas," Mr Patel told the Seven Network.

"What we do know is he is alive, the mufti's words is: 'He is okay under the circumstance, he is well,' and the aim is to now to try and get him out of there ASAP, to try get him the urgent medical attention that is required.

"Medication has been given to him so that is very welcome news."

Mr Patel said he double checked with Sheikh Alhilali that Mr Wood was alive.

"I did ask him again, I said: 'This is big news, this is great news' and his words were: 'Look, I've seen him eye to eye'," he said.

"I'm encouraged by that, I said 'I'm very very happy' and I think we all should be."

After his abduction, Wood had reportedly been taken to a secret location 30km west of Baghdad.

Australia has had a specialised hostage crisis team operating in Iraq since a few days after news of Wood's abduction. The government says it is following leads but has revealed no detail of its activities.

- AAP