イラクで日本人拘束

A body found in Iraq resembling a Japanese hostage held by Islamic militants has been examined and is unlikely to be that of the captive, Japan's top government spokesman said Saturday.

The government officials had announced earlier Saturday that a body had been found in central Iraq that resembled hostage Shosei Koda and was being sent to medical experts for positive identification.

The body had arrived in Kuwait and was examined, but experts said it was unlikely that it belonged to 24-year-old Koda, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroyuki Hosoda told reporters.

Kyodo News agency said that the body's teeth, hair and time of death did not match up.