Japan Confirms Identity of Beheaded Man

Tokyo however vowed it would keep its troops in the country on what it calls a reconstruction mission.

An armed group in Iraq had on Wednesday threatened to behead Shosei Koda, 24, within 48 hours if Japan did not withdraw its troops.

"Unfortunately, we have just confirmed that the body is that of Shosei Koda," Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura said on Sunday.

"The act of terrorism to take the life of a civilian is absolutely vicious and we must not tolerate such acts," Machimura said.

"Japan, cooperating with the international community, must continue to fight terrorism firmly."

The Japanese government later reiterated that its troops, numbering about 550, would stay on in Iraq for humanitarian purposes. The troops are based at Samawa, 270km south of Baghdad.