Greece's foreign ministry on Sunday said that a Greek hostage abducted by a Nigerian Islamist group was likely dead, as was claimed by the kidnappers. "The available information suggests that the Greek citizen abducted in Nigeria alongside six nationals of other countries is dead," the ministry said in a statement. "The foreign minister has communicated with the victim's mother to express his grief," it said. The ministry declined to give further information on the hostage.

ATHENS, March 10 (Reuters) - A Greek hostage who was abducted alongwith six others in Nigeria in February by a Nigerian Islamist group is believed to be dead, the Greek foreign ministry said on Sunday. "The information we have shows that the Greek citizen is dead," the Greek foreign ministry said in a statement. "The ministry has informed his family." A Nigerian Islamist group said on Saturday it had killed the seven foreign hostages seized last month. (Reporting by Renee Maltezou, editing by Deepa Babington)

The claim by a Nigerian Islamist group that it has killed seven foreign hostages seems "founded", the Italian foreign ministry said on Sunday. "The verifications carried out in coordination with the other interested countries lead us to believe that the news of the killing of the hostages is founded," the foreign ministry said in a statement. "This is a horrific act of terrorism for which there is no explanation except barbaric and blind violence," it said.

Nigerian Islamist group Ansaru on Saturday claimed to have killed seven foreign hostages abducted from a construction site last month in the country's restive north, SITE Intelligence Group said. "In the communique, the group stated that the attempts by the British and Nigerian governments to rescue the hostages, and their alleged arrest and killing of people, forced it to carry out the execution," SITE said.