UPDATE: The abducted radio producer (see below) has been released by his kidnappers after 24 hours.

A missing ethnic Tamil radio producer is likely to have been abducted according to Sri Lankan police.

Thirty six year old assistant news manager Nadarajah Kuruparan, worked for a Tamil language radio station and was last seen leaving his house early on Tuesday morning. His abandoned car was found shortly after in a side street.

The news brings new fears over media safety with at least five media workers killed so far this year.

There have been frequent journalist killings during the course of Sri Lanka’s two-decade civil war, particularly of minority Tamil writers and broadcasters who are either seen to back Tamil Tiger rebels or who have angered them.

Kuruparan’s station, Sooryan, is part of a larger media group and is not seen to take sides.