Akihiko Saito |
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Akihiko Saito in the mid 1980s when he was with the French Foreign Legion's 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment. |
| Born | (1961-01-05)January 5, 1961
Japan |
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| Died | May 9, 2005(2005-05-09) (aged 44)
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| Cause of death | Gunshot wounds sustained in a Jaish Ansar al-Sunna-planned ambush |
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| Occupations |
- 1st Airborne Brigade paratrooper, JGSDF (Former)
- 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment soldier, French Foreign Legion, French Army (Former)
- Hart Security Ltd. Security contractor
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| Relatives | Hironobu Saito (brother) |
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Akihiko Saito (斎藤昭彦, Saitō Akihiko; January 5, 1961 – May 9, 2005) was a Japanese security specialist adviser who was taken hostage by the Jaish Ansar al-Sunna in Iraq in 2005.
Saito's abduction and subsequent death came as a shock to the Japanese public who were surprised to find out that a former member of the Japanese Self-Defence Force was operating as a private security officer in Iraq.
