CAIRO — An Internet video released Friday purports to show an Islamic State group fighter beheading British hostage Alan Henning, the fourth such killing carried out by the extremist group now targeted in U.S.-led airstrikes.
The video mirrored other beheading videos shot by the Islamic State group, which holds territory along the border of Syria and Iraq, and ended with a militant threatening a man they identified as an American named Peter Kassig.
“Obama, you have started your aerial bombardment of Shams (Syria), which keeps on striking our people, so it is only right that we continue to strike the neck of your people,” said the masked militant in the video.
Two U.S. officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity out of concerns of not having permission to release the information, confirmed that Kassig was being held by Islamic State militants. The officials declined to elaborate.
The Associated Press could not immediately verify the video’s authenticity, though it was released in the same manner as other Islamic State videos and the masked militant sounded similar to the one who carried out the other slayings.
In a statement, the British Foreign Office said it was working to verify the video.
“If true, this is a further disgusting murder,” the statement read. “We are offering the family every support possible; they ask to be left alone at this time.”
Britain has been supporting U.S. military efforts against the Islamic State group by using British forces to help with logistics and intelligence gathering, as well as taking part in airstrikes in Iraq.
British Prime Minister David Cameron said Henning’s apparent slaying showed “how barbaric and repulsive these terrorists are.”
President Barack Obama strongly condemned the “brutal murder,” saying in a statement that Henning worked to improve the lives of the Syrian people and his death is a loss for them.
Obama’s counterterrorism adviser, Lisa Monaco, said the U.S. had seen the video and was evaluating it.
“This is again yet another just very clear example of the brutality of this group, and why the president has articulated and is moving out in a comprehensive way to degrade and destroy ISIL,” Monaco said, using an acronym for the group. “Our hearts go out to the British aid worker who we believe is in that video, and to the remaining hostages and to their families.”
This is the fourth such video released by the Islamic State group. The full beheadings are not shown in the videos, but the British-accented, English-speaking militant holds a long knife and appears to begin cutting his victims. They include American reporter James Foley, American-Israeli journalist Steven Sotloff, British aid worker David Haines and now Henning.
FBI Director James Comey has said American officials think they know the identity of the masked militant, though he has declined to name the man or reveal his nationality.
Kassig, a 26 year-old American now threatened by the Islamic State group, enlisted in the Army in 2004 and became a Ranger, serving in the 75th Ranger Regiment, an Army special operations unit.
According to his military record, Kassig trained at Fort Benning, Ga., in 2006, and deployed to Iraq from April to July 2007. He was medically discharged at the rank of private first class in September 2007.
His home of record at the time of his enlistment was Indianapolis.
Kassig’s parents say their son moved to the Middle East to provide humanitarian aid to war refugees. They said he converted to Islam while in captivity and now goes by the name Abdul-Rahman.
