Turkish hostages freed as US soldier reported dead

IRAQI militants freed three Turkish hostages yesterday, as another group of kidnappers claimed to have executed a US soldier captured nearly three months ago.

The killing of Spc Keith M. Maupin, 20, was reported by Arab television, which aired a videotape showing a blindfolded man identified by his captors as Maupin.

Al-Jazeera said in the next scene, gunmen shoot the man in the head, in front of a hole dug in the ground. The station did not broadcast the killing.