Family members of four western hostages held in Iraq made desperate pleas for their release as the deadline for the killing drew closer Saturday.
Some of the relatives of the American, Briton, and two Canadians made public appeals Friday, noting the hostages' humanitarian work and opposition to the U.S- led war in Iraq.
The kidnappers originally originally threatened to kill the four Thursday if all detainees were not released from Iraqi jails. The deadline was extended to Saturday
Several Sunni Arab clerics also pleaded for the lives of the hostages during Friday prayer services.
Clerics also urged full participation in next week's parliamentary elections, saying the vote was an important opportunity for Sunnis to get involved in the political process.
Meanwhile, the U.S. military in Iraq says an American soldier has been killed and 11 others wounded in a suicide car bomb attack in western Baghdad.
A military statement Saturday said the attack occurred in the Abu Ghraib district Friday. No other details were immediately available.
Some information for this report provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.
