A video released by an Islamic website shows a US hostage beheaded by Iraqi militants linked to al-Qaida ally Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, August 7. The man urged US to end its occupation moments before his decapitation. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

A US hostage was beheaded by militants linked to al-Qaida ally Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, a video released by an Islamic website showed on Saturday.

"My name is Benjamin Danforth. I am from San Francisco,California," said the young man as he sat on a chair.

"We need to leave this country right now. If we don't, everyone is gonna be killed in this way," the young man said in the video,which later showed him being beheaded.

Scores of hostages from over two dozen countries have been seized over the past four months by militants bent on driving foreign troops or companies out of Iraq.

Most hostages have been freed but at least 10 were killed, with some decapitated. At least 20 are still being held in Iraq.

Militants linked to al-Zarqawi were accused of being responsible for a series of bombing attacks and hostage beheadings in the country.

Source: Xinhhua