Foreign Ministry Deputy for the Middle East and Africa Affairs Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said efforts are underway to release seven Iranian experts abducted in Syria. In an exclusive interview with IRNA on Monday, he said that Iran possessed documented information that the abducted technicians were in good health. He said he was optimistic that good news would be released soon on their release. According to the deputy in an earlier interview with IRNA, the abducted Iranian experts were in Syria to work on completing phase of Jandar power plant project. Amir Abdollahian said the abduction of the Iranian experts in fact served the interests of the enemies since the Syrian nation is now deprived of the skill of the Iranian technicians. The Iranian engineers were abducted on December 20, 2011 in the Syrian city of Homs by unknown gunmen. The engineers were kidnapped on their way to a power plant. Two other Iranian engineers were also abducted in the same city a day later.