Dubai: An Islamic website today (Aug 31, 2004) claimed that the twelve Nepalis taken hostage in Iraq by the Sunna group have been beheaded.

The statement by the al-Qaeda linked group was accompanied by pictures of what was claimed to be the bodies of the hostages, one of whom was apparently beheaded while the rest had their throats cut.

The 12 were last shown in a videotape on Saturday (Aug 28, 2004) reading a statement saying they had been misled into working in Iraq by "American lies".

Nepal was not part of the US-led coalition in the war-torn country.

Meanwhile, authorities in Nepal could neither confirm nor deny the claim that its citizens were beheaded in Iraq.

"We have not yet received any information on this," Foreign Ministry spokesman Nabin Bahadur Shrestha said.