Al Qaida extends deadline for British hostage

Dubai: Al Qaida's North Africa wing has said it will give Britain 15 more days to release a Jordanian Islamist before carrying out its threat to kill a British hostage it is holding.

"After the British negotiator's request for extra time to settle the file, we announce to public opinion that the organisation has decided to give a final additional period of around 15 days from the end of the first period," the group said in a website statement.

"We call on the family of the British hostage to put pressure on the government and we assure them that this extra time limit will not be repeated," the group said.

The group had said that it would kill the Briton by May 15 if the British government did not release Abu Qatada, a Jordanian Islamist it is holding in prison.

Britain, which has not disclosed the name of the hostage, said it was working for his safe release. It gave no details.

Abu Qatada, named as the right hand man in Europe of Osama Bin Laden's Al Qaida network, has been held in Britain since 2005. He denies belonging to the group.