Qatar-based Al-Jazeera satellite television is suspending the work of its journalists in Iraq after authorities banned one correspondent from working and asked another to leave, the station announced early on Thursday.

Al-Jazeera "has decided to suspend, until further notice, the work of all its correspondents in Iraq" after the information ministry informed its office in the Iraqi capital of the ban on Baghdad-based correspondent Diyar al-Umari and the request for Tayseer Alluni to leave the country "as soon as possible," it said.

The station, "which regrets this surprising and unjustified stand, " will continue with a minimum

service, airing pictures from its offices in Baghdad, the southern city of Basra and the northern town of Mosul, a news presenter said.

Al-Jazeera said the Iraqi information ministry had given no explanation for its move.

US officials had criticised AlJazeera for allegedly presenting a one-sided version of the US-British war on Iraq and for airing pictures of coalition dead and prisoners ofwar.