American hostage 'beheaded'

An American hostage being held in Iraq has been beheaded, according to a statement by the group holding three Westerners.

The short statement, posted on a website by the Abu Musab al-Zarqawi’s group said the man – one of two Americans and a Briton being held – had been killed,

The claim could not be verified.

The statement said: “God, protect him, has beheaded the first American. The group will next behead the others.”

Briton Kenneth Bigley, a 62-year-old civil engineer from Liverpool and Americans Jack Hensley and Eugene Armstrong, who worked for Middle East-based construction firm Gulf Services Company, were kidnapped in Baghdad last week by a group linked to al-Qaida.