idoia Posted May 9, 2005 Share Posted May 9, 2005 DUBAI (Reuters) - Islamic militant group Army of Ansar al-Sunna said on Monday it had abducted a Japanese national working at a U.S. base in Iraq, according to a statement posted on the Internet. The group posted on its Web site a picture of a Japanese passport bearing the name Akihiko Saito as well as an identification card saying he was a security manager. The group said it seized him after it ambushed a convoy of cars coming from the U.S. base near the capital Baghdad when the convoy neared the town of Hit in Iraq's Sunni Muslim western region. "He (the hostage) has serious injuries and we will soon issue a video showing him," said the statement posted on a Web site used by Islamists. The statement's authenticity could not be verified immediately. There was no independent confirmation. A Japanese Foreign Ministry official in Tokyo said the government was looking into the report The militant group said there had been 12 Iraqi "apostates" and five armed foreigners travelling in the convoy. "The mujahideen (holy fighters) captured them and killed them immediately with the exception of one and he is Japanese." The organisation, one of the main Sunni Muslim insurgent groups, has claimed responsibility for attacks against U.S. forces and the Iraqi government and killed several hostages. source: http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticl...PAN-HOSTAGE.xml i outta control? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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