British Hostage Killed During Rescue Attempt in Nigeria

This is awful news.

At London's Daily Mail, "Hostage rescue ends in tragedy: Briton executed by captors as special forces close in on Al Qaeda gang's lair."

And at Telegraph UK, "Doomed rescue launched amid fears hostages were about to be killed":

The doomed rescue bid of British hostage Chris McManus was urgently launched because the Nigerian terrorists holding him were about to kill him and dump his body in the desert, The Daily Telegraph can disclose.

The gang feared a raid was imminent after one of their senior members disappeared and could not be contacted.

The man, known by the alias Abu Muhammad, had been arrested on Tuesday and it was his interrogation that gave away the kidnappers’ location and telephone numbers.

Other gang members were also picked up and telephone intercepts showed the remaining kidnappers had become increasingly agitated and were ready to kill their captives and flee to neighbouring Niger.

It also emerged the gang, while connected to known terror groups, may have been acting alone and become frustrated by their inability to launch an effective ransom demand.

Mr McManus, an engineer, and Italian colleague Franco Lamolinara, were executed by their captors on Thursday as commandos from the Special Boat Service and the Nigerian army launched their dramatic rescue bid.

Yeah, and the Italian government is not pleased.

See New York Times, "Failed Raid to Rescue Hostages in Nigeria Stirs Italy’s Anger."