Baghdad: A US marine held hostage in Iraq was released today (Jul 6, 2004), according to a statement purportedly from an Islamic militant group received by the Arab television channel Al-Jazeera.

The statement attributed to the Islamic Retaliation Movement, which had previously threatened to behead Corporal Wassef Ali Hassoun, said the Lebanese-born marine was "returned to his safe base."

The US marines said they had no news of Hassoun's release and were still listing him as captured. "We're not going to comment on what Al-Jazeera is saying," said Lieutenant Corporal T V Johnson. "When we have more information on his status, which is proven, we'll release it." The Al-Qaeda-linked Ansar al-Sunna group yesterday (Jul 5, 2004) denied a statement issued in its name and posted on the Internet a day earlier saying it had executed Hassoun.

The US marines confirmed on Wednesday that Hassoun went missing on June 21 after Al-Jazeera broadcast a tape from the Islamic Retaliation Movement showing a blinfolded Hassoun with a sword over his head. The group threatened to decapitate him unless all prisoners were released in Iraq.