An Egyptian man working for the US military in Iraq and captured by armed men has been found shot dead, hours before a deadline set by the captors of four Christian peacekeepers. Muthana Ibrahim, a lieutenant-colonel with the Iraqi police force, said on Saturday that the man, who worked as a translator at a US military base, was found near Hajaj village, north of Tikrit, with identity papers in his pocket. Egyptian news agency MENA identified the man as Ibrahim al-Sayyid al-Hilali, 46. Police said he had been taken from his house on Friday.He is the eighth foreigner seized in Iraq in two weeks. A German archaeologist, Susanne Osthoff, 43, and her Iraqi driver were taken hostage on 25 November; four Christian aid workers - two Canadians, an American and a Briton - were seized the following day.