An Italian hostage identified as Salvatore Santoro is reported to have been killed by an Islamist group in Iraq.
News of his death was broadcast on Al-Jazeera television this afternoon, quoting a statement from the group and showing footage of the man.
The Qatar-based station broadcast pictures of Mr Santoro's passport and showed him sitting bound and blindfolded in a ditch with a gun to his head.
Separately, four masked and armed men were shown reading from a statement.
Quoting a statement from the ‘Islamic Movement of Iraqi Mujahedeen’, Al-Jazeera said the 52-year-old Italian man had been killed and the group had found evidence that he supported the Americans.
No further details were given.
