DUBAI, Nov 19 (AFP) - The Islamist group of Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi publicly killed two Iraqi national guards in the northern city of Mosul this week, according to a statement on the Internet Friday.
"The heroes of Al-Qaeda in Mesopotamia cut the throats Thursday afternoon of two despots of the heathen national guard, a colonel and a lieutenant," said the text which was signed by Zarqawi's "Jihad in the Land of Two Rivers" group.
Its authenticity could not immediately be verified.
"Their execution took place in Mosul in front of a huge crowd," it added.
The group said the killing showed the failure of the US offensive against the former rebel stronghold of Fallujah. Zarqawi, Iraq's most wanted man, is said to have fled the city before the operation began.
"The brigades of unity in Mosul, Ramadi, Samarra, Baquba and other cities in Iraq are ready to destroy the bases of the apostates and impious set up by the occupiers, like stations of the renegade police and the heathen national guard," the statement added.
The US military had on Thursday said that two members of the Iraqi national guard had been abducted by rebels, without giving further details.
Expectations are growing of an all-out assault on Mosul, after days of violence in the city which has left more than 50 insurgents, at least 20 Iraqi security forces and one US soldier dead, according to the US military.
11/19/2004 17:10 GMT - AFP