British hostage Ken Bigley has been slaughtered on video by the holy warriors in Iraq: U.S. Raid in Iraq Kills 11; UK Hostage Said Beheaded.

Insurgent sources in Falluja later said militants had beheaded British engineer Ken Bigley, three weeks after he was kidnapped with two Americans who suffered the same fate.

A video seen by Reuters showed the militants beheading Bigley, who made a statement as six militants stood behind him before one cut his head off with a knife.

The insurgent sources said the 62-year-old was killed on Thursday afternoon in the Sunni Muslim town of Latifiya, southwest of Baghdad.

There was no immediate confirmation from the British or Iraqi governments that Bigley was dead. Abu Dhabi television cited Iraqi sources as saying he had been killed.