Islamic State claims beheading of US aid worker Peter Kassig, 18 Syrians
November 17, 2014 08:22
The Islamic State group on Sunday released a video claiming the beheading of US aid worker Peter Kassig in a warning to Washington as it prepares to send more troops to Iraq.
The same video showed the gruesome simultaneous beheadings of at least 18 men described as Syrian military personnel, the latest in a series of mass executions and other atrocities carried out by IS in Syria and Iraq.
Washington said it was working to confirm the authenticity of the video, which sparked widespread condemnation.
"If confirmed, we are appalled by the brutal murder of an innocent American aid worker and we express our deepest condolences to his family and friends," National Security Council spokeswoman Bernadette Mehan said.
In the undated video, a man who appears to be the same British-accented jihadist who beheaded previous Western hostages stands above a severed head.
"This is Peter Edward Kassig, a US citizen," the black-clad masked executioner says, urging US President Barack Obama to send more troops back to the region to confront IS.
"Here we are burying the first American crusader in Dabiq, eagerly waiting for the remainder of your armies to arrive," the militant says, referring to a northern Syrian town.
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