Iraq militants say U.S. Marine beheaded

DUBAI (Reuters) - A militant group says it has beheaded U.S. Marine Corporal Wassef Ali Hassoun, the second reported killing of a kidnapped American soldier in Iraq this week.

"We beheaded the marine of Lebanese origin Hassoun and you will see the film with your own eyes soon," the Army of Ansar al-Sunna said in a statement carried on at least two Internet sites on Saturday. The group said it was holding another "infidel" hostage.

It was not immediately possible to verify the authenticity of the Arabic-language statement, which was addressed to U.S. President George W. Bush and warned him to withdraw his troops from Iraq.

Arabic television Al Jazeera last Sunday aired a video tape of militants holding a blindfolded 24-year-old Hassoun with a sword poised over his head.

The militants had warned they would carry on attacking Iraqi officials and U.S.-led foreign forces, despite Washington's handover to an interim Iraqi government last Monday, until "God's law" prevailed in Iraq.

The U.S. military had no immediate comment on the beheading claim. Hassoun's father and brother in Lebanon said they had heard the news but the death had not been confirmed.

"NEW INFIDEL HOSTAGE"

"We will soon issue a new tape showing a new infidel hostage," Ansar al-Sunna said in its statement, without giving the nationality of the person.

Hours after Washington's handover last Monday, al Jazeera broadcast a video tape showing what militants said was the killing of U.S. Private Keith Matthew Maupin, 20.

In the video a gunman could be seen firing one shot at the soldier, seen only from the back. The body fell into a hole.

The U.S. military has said Hassoun had been absent from his unit since June 21.

Ansar al-Sunna's statement said Hassoun was kidnapped when he had "romantic relations with an Arab girl and ... was lured away from his base".

Hassoun's Lebanese father had urged his son's captors to have mercy on him as a Muslim and Arab.

Ali Mohammed Hassoun told reporters in Lebanon's northern port city of Tripoli on Monday he had learned of the beheading threat to his son through the media.

He said it had been about two months since he last heard from his son, who obtained U.S. citizenship after emigrating to the United States four years ago and joining the military.

The marine's family in West Jordan, Utah, said he had taken part in the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq to oust Saddam Hussein.

The U.S. military says Ansar al-Sunna could be one of a handful of groups carrying out attacks in Iraq.