(CNN) -- A Western security contractor was brutally assaulted in southern Iraq this week by a Shiite mob after he reportedly insulted their sect of Islam. A 10-minute video circulating on social media sites showed an angry mob of men carrying metal rods, a pickax and other sharp objects attacking the car the man was in, smashing the glass and dragging him out. More than a dozen men are seen beating the man, who pleaded for the attackers to stop as blood streamed down his face. The security contractor's condition was unclear on Wednesday. According to local media reports, the man was identified as a British security consultant from the UK-based private security firm G4S contracted by the oil services company Schlumberger at Iraq's Rumeilah oil field, the country's largest.
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A mob of men drags a contractor out of a car and beats him, a video shows
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The contractor allegedly tore down flags of important imams, local media report
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The British man's condition is unknown; the British Foreign office is aware of the incident
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Shiite Muslims are preparing to celebrate Ashura, which honors a 7th century imam
The security contractor appeared to be wearing a @placeholder T-shirt in the video.