Islamic State releases video of British hostage John Cantlie as Kobani correspondent

Islamic State hostage John Cantlie, a British citizen, appears in a video released by the terrorist organization, in which he says he is “broadcasting” from the embattled Syrian town of Kobani, the BBC is reporting. 

In what was almost certainly a scripted speech, Mr. Cantlie says to the camera that the fight for the war-torn town on the Turkish border is “nearly over” and the militants are “mopping up now.” Kobani has been the stage of fierce battles between Kurdish militias and Islamic State forces.

Mr. Cantlie, 43, was kidnapped in Syria in late 2012, according to the BBC, and his family has appealed to the terrorist group for his release since then. His father, Paul, recently died not long after pleading for his son’s freedom. His sister, Jessica, also has attempted to reach out to his captors.

Last week, Mr. Cantlie appeared in another Islamic State-produced video in which he says that those who have tried to escape the terrorists have been tortured. According to the BBC, that video also featured scripted comments in which Mr. Cantlie criticized British and American actions against the Islamic State and their tactics of hostage negotiations.  

Several American and British journalists and aid workers have been executed on video by the Islamic State in recent months. They, too, were compelled to condemn U.S. and British actions against their captors immediately before they were brutally killed.