Twelve Nepalese hostages have been executed by their captors in Iraq, according to media reports.
The hostages were kidnapped by the Islamist Army of Ansar al-Sunna, which has shown pictures of the apparent slaughter.
News of the executions has been posted on the army's website.
The twelve were shown on video footage on the website, with one of them reading a statement saying they had been misled into working there by "American lies".
"We come here to Iraq on the basis of an agreement between our company, Nepalese agency, and the American (army), with the help of a Jordanian company... to help with American force," said one of the hostages, seated amongst the 11 other captives.
"The salary is ... 2,500 dollars they give us on guarantee, and then they said for us that the situation is not dangerous in Iraq but we see the situation" is dangerous, added the hostage, reading a statement in broken English.
"We are arrested by unknown group and this is on evidence the situation is not under American" security or control in Iraq, said the hostage, who had a US flag pinned to his chest, covering the front of his shirt.
"So we ask anyone who wants to come to Iraq not to be cheated by these high salary because they are false and America is lying," he added.
As he spoke, the other hostages held up what appeared to be their passports. Some were seated alongside the speaker on the floor while others stood behind, all of them against a black backdrop which read - "Ansar al-Sunna".
The video showed a masked man apparently slitting the throat of a blindfolded man lying on the ground. Other footage showed an armed man firing single shots from an assault rifle at the back of the heads of 11 others.
On August 20, the Army of Ansar al-Sunna said in a statement that it had taken captive 12 "infidels" who were "affiliated with a Nepalese company" and had been helping "US crusader forces to fight Islam".
Last week, an employment agency in Amman said the 12 had come to Jordan seeking jobs but were lured by offers of higher salaries in Iraq. (Albawaba.com)
© 2004 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
