JACKSON, Ms. -- A Mississippi man is being held hostage in Iraq by insurgents who have threatened to kill and mutilate him if U.S. troops don't withdraw from Fallujah, relatives said Saturday.

Thomas Hamill, 43, of Macon, was captured Friday during a convoy ambush, the latest in a series of kidnappings in Iraq.

Family members said they learned of his capture later that day.

His grandmother Vera Hamill said her grandson is a contractor who went to the Middle East in September to help rebuild the war-torn country.

Hamill's wife, Kellie, declined to comment to The Associated Press, referring all questions to her husband's employer, Houston-based engineering and construction company Kellog, Brown and Root - a division of Halliburton.

The company said in a statement issued Saturday that the company is monitoring the current situation in Iraq and continues to work closely with coalition authorities regarding the safety and security of all our personnel in the region.

Company spokeswoman Wendy Hall did not immediately return telephone messages tonight seeking further comment.

Hamill was captured yesterday during a convoy ambush, the latest in a series of kidnappings in Iraq.

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