Reports have emerged that the seven foreign hostages kidnapped last month by a Nigerian Islamist terrorist group from a construction company compound have been killed, the Italian and Greek foreign ministries both confirmed.

The al Qaeda-affiliated group Ansaru Group announced on Saturday that it had killed the hostages seized on February 7 in the northern state of Bauchi because of attempts by Nigerian and British forces to rescue the hostages.

Britain’s military said its warplanes which were recently spotted in Nigeria’s capital Abuja had been there to carry soldiers taking part in the French-led operation in Mali – not to rescue hostages.

But both governments denied any rescue attempt as claimed by the militants for justifying their killing of the hostages.

Those killed include nationals of Italy, Britain, Greece and Lebanon which their respective governments described as unfortunate and brutal terrorist act by the militants.

The militants published grainy photos purporting to show the bodies of a Briton, an Italian, a Greek and four Lebanese workers snatched from the Lebanese firm Setraco’s construction premises.

“Our checks conducted in coordination with the other countries concerned lead us to believe that the news of the killing of the hostages seized last month is true,” an Italian Foreign Ministry statement said.

“There was never any military attempt to rescue the hostages by any of the governments concerned,” it said, adding that the president had sent his condolences to the Italian’s family.

Security has become a major concern for oil and infrastructure companies across the region since gunmen loyal to al Qaeda’s North African franchise stormed an Algerian natural gas plant in January.

Ansaru said it had carried out the attack in revenge for what it called atrocities by European nations against Islam.

The group, formed in January 2012, has been listed by the UK government as a “terrorist organization” aligned with al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.

French family too are being currently held hostage in a separate incident in the border with Cameroon by Boko Haram.

It abducted French national Francis Colump in December in an attack on a compound in the northern state of Katsina.

In January Ansaru said it had carried out an attack that killed two Nigerian soldiers as they prepared to deploy to Mali, where French-led troops have been fighting Islamic militants.

Issaka Adams / NationalTurk Africa News

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