Kidnappers threaten to behead Filipino hostage

Arabic television station Al-Jazeera broadcasts the image of Filipino hostage Angelo de la Cruz, dressed in an orange jump suit. (Xinhua/AFP Photo)

Kidnappers of a Filipino threatened to behead the hostage, a truck driver, if Manila did not withdraw troops from Iraq by July 20, Dabai-based Arabic satellite television Al Jazeera reported Saturday.

The Filipino hostage, Angelo de la Cruza, was abducted last week while driving into Iraq from Saudi Arabia, by a group calling itself the Khaled Ibn al-Walid Brigade, linked to the militant Islamic Army in Iraq, who demanded the Philippine government to withdraw its troops from the country.

"The hostage will remain captive and treated as a prisoner under Islam until the last Filipino soldier leaves Iraq July 20 at the latest ... or he will be executed," the channel quoted a statement from the group as saying.

"We give the Philippine government an additional 24 hours starting from 11 p.m. Iraqi time (1900 GMT) on Saturday to show it is serious about withdrawing its troops.

Source: Xinhua