Linga

Syrian rebels beheaded a Christian man and fed his body to dogs, according to a nun who says the West is ignoring atrocities committed by Islamic extremists.

The nun said taxi driver Andrei Arbashe, 38, was kidnapped after his brother was heard complaining that fighters against the ruling regime behaved like bandits. She said his headless corpse was found by the side of the road, surrounded by hungry dogs. He had recently married and was soon to be a father.

There have been a growing number of accounts of atrocities carried out by rogue elements of the Syrian Free Army, which opposes dictator Bashar al-Assad and is recognised by Britain and the West as the legitimate leadership.

One of the most effective fighting forces is the Jabat Al-Nusra, which has an ideology similar to Al Qaeda.'The uprising has been hijacked by Islamist mercenaries who are more interested in fighting a holy war than in changing the government,' she said. 'It has turned into a sectarian conflict. One in which Christians are paying a high price.'