One of the four Italian hostages being held in Iraq has been killed, the Arab satellite channel Al-Jazeera reported, quoting a statement sent to it by the kidnappers.

The channel said it had received a "video film and photos showing the murder of the hostage" but said it could not broadcast the material for fear of upsetting its viewers.

If the killing is confirmed, the Italian would be the first of some 40 foreign hostages the US-led coalition believes are currently held in Iraq to be executed by the insurgents.

In their statement, the captors said they had "killed the hostage after comments by (Italian Prime Minister Silvio) Berlusconi that the withdrawal of Italian troops from Iraq was not negotiable."

The kidnappers threatened to kill the other three hostages "one by one if their demands were not taken into account," Al-Jazeera said.

Neither the head of the Italian mission in Baghdad nor the foreign ministry in Rome were able to confirm the death.

Foreign Minister Franco Frattini told state television he "had no confirmation" of the Al-Jazeera report.

AFP