Wednesday, February 2 2005 13:50 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Dubai: An Islamist group claimed to have taken a US soldier hostage in Iraq and threatened to kill him unless Iraqis held in US prisons were freed within 72 hours, in a statement posted on a Islamist website yesterday (Feb 01, 2005), along with a photograph of the alleged captive.

"Our heroes from the squadron of the mujahedeen in Iraq were able to capture a US soldier, John Adam, after having killed a number of his comrades ... We will slaughter him if our prisoners held in the jails of the occupation forces ... are not released within 72 hours," said the statement, whose authenticity could not be confirmed.

The statement was signed by the "Mujahedeen Squadrons - Iraq" and was undated. The group said the ultimatum would begin on publication of the statement.

The photo of the alleged captive showed a man of apparently African American origin in military uniform sitting on the ground with his hands tied behind his back and a machine gun pointed at his head.

A banner in the background bore the Islamic inscription "There is no God but God, Mohammad is the prophet of God." "This infidel will meet the same fate as hundreds of his comrades in the occupation Armies," the statement said.