Video: Nigeria hostage killings 'cold-blooded murder' says William Hague "We will continue to work with them over the coming days and weeks to try to bring to account and to bring to justice the perpetrators of this terrible crime," he added. Greece has also confirmed one of its citizens was killed, while Lebanese authorities did not immediately comment. Italy flatly denied a claim by Ansaru that the hostages were killed before or during a military operation by Nigerian and British forces, saying there was "no military intervention aimed at freeing the hostages." Ansaru previously issued a short statement saying its fighters kidnapped the foreigners on February 16 from a construction company's camp at Jama'are, a town about 200 kilometres (125 miles) north of Bauchi, the capital of Bauchi state. Those kidnapped included four Lebanese citizens and one citizen apiece from Britain, Greece and Italy.