C&P
A Lebanese-born US marine who was reported to have been beheaded by his kidnappers in Iraq is alive and has been set free, his brother said.
Wassef Ali Hassoun's brother Sami said the family had received word that he had been released early on Tuesday.
He did not specify what the source of the information was, but said the family had "received a sign from my brother reassuring us".
On Saturday, a militant group claimed on a website it had killed Mr Hassoun.
"We have received a call that reassured us. My brother is alive and has been freed," Sami Hassoun said from the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli, where the family originates.
It is reported that the Lebanese Foreign Ministry had been told by Lebanon's Baghdad Embassy that the US soldier was alive.
Moved to safety
The Tripoli- and Utah-based branches of the family have been praying and pleading for a bloodless solution to the kidnapping since a report on Arabic TV station al-Jazeera on Monday contradicted earlier reports of the beheading.
Al-Jazeera quoted an Iraqi group - Islamic Response - as saying that Cpl Hassoun had been moved to a safe place.
There has been no confirmation of any of the developments by the US military.
Family members said Wassef Hassoun was born in Lebanon, educated at American schools there and then joined the United States Marines after moving to Utah four years ago.
The 24-year-old is fluent in Arabic, French and English and was reportedly serving as a translator in his second stint in Iraq when he was captured.
Source: BBC
