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2 bodies of British hostages passed by Iraqi authorities to Britain

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-06-21 10:56

LONDON: Britain's Foreign Secretary, David Miliband, said on Saturday that two bodies of British hostages had handed by Iraqi authorities on Friday night to British officials.

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In a statement, he said the British side had not yet confirmed about who they were. But British government's thoughts were with the families of five British people taken hostage in Iraq in May 2007, he said.

"This is terrible moment of uncertainty and fear for them," the secretary said. "Forensic examinations are under way to establish identities and causes of deaths as soon as possible."

Three other captives still missing were in "grave danger," he said. "The threat to all those taken hostage in Iraq remains very high indeed."

The Britons, computer instructor Peter Moore and his four bodyguards, were seized by a Shi'ite militant group from inside an Iraqi Finance Ministry building in Baghdad in May 2007.

Britain was a key ally of the United States in the invasion of Iraq in 2003, but has now withdrawn all but about 500 troops from the country.