Dubai, Nov 25: An al Qaeda-led group said it had killed nine Iraqi officers and posted an Internet video showing masked militants shooting the kneeling men in the head.

''I belonged to the Maghawir (interior ministry commandos). I urge anyone else working with them to leave and repent to God,'' said one of the men shown in the video, as they sat on a floor in front of the black flag of the self-styled Islamic State in Iraq. Others made similar ''confessions''.

The insurgent group said yesterday the men had been captured in Salahuddin province north of the capital Baghdad during a recent attack there by US and Iraqi government forces.

The footage showed militants shooting the blindfolded men with pistols in an outdoor area. The hostages' hands were tied behind their backs.

The authenticity of the video could not be verified but it was posted on a Web site used by Iraqi insurgents.

The group, set up last year by al Qaeda's wing in Iraq and other smaller Sunni Muslim groups, has often killed hostages in the past after its demands were ignored by authorities.



Reuters>