Australia's Nine television network said reporter Peter Wilson and photographer John Feder of The Australian newspaper were under Iraqi guard at the Meridien Palestine hotel in Baghdad.

Wilson and Feder had been out of touch since Monday when they reported from the southern Iraqi town of Umm Qasr.

At that time Wilson said US-British military police had been searching for him and Feder to kick them out of Iraq.

"They don't want independent journalists, they want embedded journalists," he said, referring to reporters assigned to accompany US and British military units.

Wilson and Feder had been travelling independently in a four-wheel drive vehicle. It was unclear how they may have reached Baghdad.

Also Wednesday the Sydney Daily Telegraph said its reporter, Ian McPhedran, had been ordered to leave Baghdad by Iraqi officials on Monday.

McPhedran told the newspaper the officials accused him of breaking regulations by travelling from his hotel to the information ministry building in Baghdad.

SPACE.WIRE