An Afghan news agency says it has received a recording purported to feature an Italian hostage saying he will be killed if his kidnappers' demands are not met.
Western media report the audio from the recording is of poor quality. A barely audible voice, purported to be that of kidnapped Italian journalist Daniele Mastrogiacomo, warns he faces execution in two days.
Afghanistan's Pajhwok news agency says it received the tape Thursday. Its authenticity has not been confirmed.
On Wednesday, the abducted reporter appeared in a video received by a non-governmental relief agency.
In it, Mastrogiacomo appeals to the Italian government to work for his release. He was kidnapped last week by Taleban militants in Afghanistan's southern Helmand province.
The Taleban says the reporter has confessed to being a spy. But his newspaper, La Repubblica, has denied the charge.
The Italian government says it is doing all it can to obtain his freedom.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
