Four Lebanese citizens, and one each from Britain, Greece and Italy, were captured from Nigeria’s northern Bauchi state on February 16. All seven were employees of Setraco, a Lebanese construction company.

The Greek foreign ministry in an announcement said it believes its national is dead.

“The available information suggests that the Greek citizen, who was kidnapped on February 16 by a terrorist organization in Nigeria is dead. The Foreign Ministry has informed his family.”

An Italian foreign ministry statement said: “Our checks conducted in co-ordination with the other countries concerned led us to believe that the news of the killing of the hostages seized last month is true.”

Following reports of the deaths of hostages in Nigeria, the Foreign Secretary, William Hague, said:

This was an act of cold-blooded murder, which I condemn in the strongest terms.

Ansaru issued a communique saying it had killed the hostages because of attempts by Nigerian and British governments to free them.

The group published photos along with the statement that allegedly showed the bodies of all seven victims.

Greece and Italy have both denied the claim that any claim that any government forces attempted to free the hostages.

The Greek foreign ministry also said the “”Based on the information we have, there was no rescue operation nor any contact with the terrorist organization at any stage,” it added.

Ansaru has been linked to several kidnappings, including the May 2011 abductions of a Briton and an Italian working for a construction firm in Kebbi state, near the border with Niger, according to Al Jazeera.

Mokhtar Lamani, the Damascus representative of the new UN-Arab League peace envoy to Syria, said the peacekeepers crossed into Jordan on Saturday afternoon, Reuters reported.

Yarmouk Martyrs brigade, a rebel group, claimed responsibility for the kidnapping.

Syrian rebels initially said they would only release the hostages once Syrian troops withdrew from the area. However, rebels eventually dropped their demand and began negotiations with U.N. officials to free the peacekeepers.

On Friday, a U.N. team tried to free the hostages, but was unable due to heavy regime shelling of the area.

On Wednesday, armed elements of the Syrian opposition detained a group of peacekeepers who are part of the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF), which monitors the 1974 disengagement accord between Syria and Israel after their 1973 war.

The UN estimates that the Syrian conflict has claimed more than 70,000 lives and forced millions from their homes.

Israel seized the Golan Heights during the 1967 Six-Day War. UN peacekeepers have been monitoring the armistice line that followed the 1973 Arab-Israeli war, in which Syria tried to recapture the territory.

Earlier, Israel warned that it will not “stand idle” as Syria’s civil war spills over into the Golan region.

According to the Syrian observatory for Human Rigths (SOHR) a spokesperson of the rebel battalion holding the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) members in the town of al-Jamla said that an agreement had been reached to free the 21 International observers tomorrow (Saturday) morning between 10 a.m and noon.

“A precondition to the release of the hostages is that the area should witness a ceasefire, with regime forces stopping their bombardment. A delegation from the Red Cross and the United Nations will be in the area tomorrow morning,” SOHR said in a statement.

“As of now there is, perhaps, a hope – but I have to be extremely cautious because it is not done yet – but there is the possibility that a ceasefire of a few hours can intervene which will allow for people to be released,” Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Hervé Ladsous, told reporters in New York after a closed-door briefing to the Security Council.

He stressed that if the ceasefire was to happen, there would be a strong expectation that there would be no retaliatory action by the Syrian armed forces over the village and its civilian population.

“Our 21 peacekeepers are detained in the village of Al Jamla. Apparently they are safe and they have been spread into 4 or 5 locations within that village in the basement of various houses,” Ladsous, told reporters in New York.

“That particular village is subject to intense shelling by the Syrian armed forces. Of course we are working 24/7 in the area of operation, with people in the region, and here in the Secretariat, to secure their release under good conditions as quickly as possible.”

On Wednesday, armed elements of the Syrian opposition detained a group of peacekeepers who are part of the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF), which monitors the 1974 disengagement accord between Syria and Israel after their 1973 war.

Mr. Ladsous added that in light of the situation, UNDOF had vacated two positions which were particularly exposed to gunfire, and the way the mission is operating is being examined due to the degraded safety and security conditions.