Abducted Iraq governor found dead
Last Updated: Tuesday, 31 May, 2005, 10:49 GMT 11:49 UK

The kidnapped governor of Iraq's Anbar province has been found dead along with his suspected captors after a clash with US forces.

The body of Raja Nawaf was found tied to a gas canister in a house west of Baghdad, a government spokesman said.

A US military spokesman said a helicopter had flown Mr Nawaf's body to the city of Qaim on Monday where his family had identified him.

No details are available about how the governor was killed.

He was kidnapped on 10 May. A group claiming to have seized him said it would hold him captive until US troops pulled back from Qaim.

Earlier on Tuesday the Italian army said that an Italian military helicopter crashed, killing all four people on board.

The incident happened close to the southern city of Nasiriya, where the majority of the 3,000 Italian troops in the country are based.

Officials have not given a reason for the crash, which took place overnight.

US casualties

On Monday, four Americans and an Iraqi were killed when an Iraqi air force plane crashed close to the border with neighbouring Iran. >>>continued

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