Turkey today pledged to retaliate if dozens of its citizens seized in an attack by Islamist militants in northern Iraq are harmed.        

Turkey's foreign ministry said in a statement today that jihadist group the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant had kidnapped 49 of its citizens at the Mosul consulate and taken them to another part of the city.        

"All those involved should know that if our citizens are harmed in any way, they will be the subject of harsh reprisals," Turkish media quoted Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu as saying at the United Nations in New York.       

Turkish officials told AFP earlier that militants storming the consulate had kidnapped 48 Turks, including the consul, staff members, guards and three children.   The ministry also said 31 Turkish truck drivers kidnapped by ISIL fighters Tuesday were being held at a power station in Mosul.