The terrorist group known as the Islamic State released a video Friday purporting to show the beheading of Briton Alan Henning — the fourth such beheading over the past six weeks.
In the video, which has not yet been confirmed by U.S. or British officials, an Islamic State fighter blames U.S.-led airstrikes against terrorist targets in Syria for the death.
“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,” a masked Islamic State fighter says on the video.
The footage follows the same format as previous videos. An Islamic State fighter speaks before holding a knife to the victim’s throat. The video then fades to black before showing a severed head.
The masked militant then produced another man, identified as American Peter Kassig, and threatened to behead him.
The Islamic State, which controls large swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria, also has beheaded two American journalists, James Foley and Steven Sotloff, and British aid worker David Haines.
Henning, 47, was part of an aid convoy in Syria when he was taken hostage last December, according to the Associated Press.
The video comes on the same day that Australia, Denmark and Turkey joined the international coalition conducting air strikes against Islamic State targets. The Obama administration on Friday reiterated its commitment to defeating the group, also known as ISIL.
“The United States strongly condemns the brutal murder of United Kingdom citizen Alan Henning by the terrorist group ISIL. Mr. Henning worked to help improve the lives of the Syrian people and his death is a great loss for them, for his family and the people of the United Kingdom,” President Obama said Friday night. “Standing together with our UK friends and allies, we will work to bring the perpetrators of Alan’s murder — as well as the murders of Jim Foley, Steven Sotloff and David Haines — to justice. Standing together with a broad
coalition of allies and partners, we will continue taking decisive action to degrade and ultimately destroy ISIL.”
• This article is based in part on wire service reports.
• Ben Wolfgang can be reached at bwolfgang@washingtontimes.com.
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