CAIRO, July 7 (Xinhuanet) -- Egypt on Thursday expressed deep shock and grief over the murder of Ihab el-Sharif, head of Egypt's diplomatic mission in Iraq, the official MENA news agency reported.

   Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said in a statement that late el-Sharif has lost his life to terrorism that has no religion or homeland, expressing condolence to Sharif's family.

   According to the statement, such a terror act would not dissuade Egypt from maintaining its supportive stances of the Iraqi people.

   The Egyptian Foreign Ministry praised Sharif as an ardent patriot who fell while undertaking his duty in the service of the Egyptian and Iraqi peoples alike.

   Egypt will not pedal back on its supportive stance toward the Iraqi people, said the ministry.

   Minister of Interior Habib el-Adli renewed warning against peril of the international terrorism and its consequences worldwide as one of the most dangerous crimes linked to incidents on regional and international arenas.

   During a meeting with a number of Egyptian ambassadors and consuls, Adli hailed Egypt's experience in combating terrorism and violence, saying that his ministry took an anti-terror strategy based on collecting information on elements of violence and extremism. 

   Meanwhile, Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdel Aziz called Mubarak on Thursday over the killing of Sharif, denouncing the terror act.

   Iraq's al-Qaida group killed Sharif on Thursday, four days after he was kidnapped by the group in Baghdad, according to a videotape posted on an Islamic website.

   "We in al-Qaida Organization for Holy War in Iraq announce that the judgment of God has been carried out against the ambassador of infidels, ambassador of Egypt," said the group led by most wanted man in Iraq Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

   The videotape did not show the execution of Sharif, who identified himself as the head of the interests section of Egypt in Iraq and said he worked previously as an employee in the Egyptian Embassy in Israel.

   The authenticity of the videotape could not be immediately verified.

   The al-Qaida wing in Iraq said in an Internet statement on Wednesday that it would kill Sharif for being convicted of
apostasy.

   The religious court of al-Qaida had decided to hand over Sharif to its fighters "to carry out the punishment of apostasy," said the statement.

   Earlier, the group posted web pictures of identification cards of the Egyptian envoy as proof it had kidnapped him.

   The militant group, which claimed responsibility on Tuesday for kidnapping Sharif in Baghdad, has in the past beheaded foreign captives.

   Sharif was kidnapped by a group of gunmen on Saturday near the Egyptian consulate in al-Rabie Street in western Baghdad, only several weeks after he was named ambassador to Iraq.

   Last month, Egypt became the first Arab country to respond to a US call for upgrading diplomatic missions in Baghdad. Enditem