’ISIL’ Beheads Dozens of Syrians, One US Aid Soldier
Local Editor
The "ISIL" group on Sunday released a video announcing the beheading of US aid worker Peter Kassig in a warning to Washington as it prepares to send more troops to Iraq.
The video also 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 the "ISIL" 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.
White House press secretary Josh Earnest said President Barack Obama had been briefed about the reports of Kassig's murder.
In the undated video, a man who appears to be the same British-accented terrorist 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 "ISIL".
"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.
Kassig's family said they were awaiting official confirmation on the death of the former US soldier.
"We are aware of the news reports being circulated about our treasured son and are waiting for confirmation from the government as to the authenticity of these reports," Ed and Paula Kassig said in a statement.
They urged the media not to publish or broadcast images released by "ISIL", saying this was "playing into the hostage-takers' hands."
"We prefer our son is written about and remembered for his important work and the love he shared with friends and family, not in the manner the hostage-takers would use to manipulate Americans and further their cause."
Kassig would be the fifth Western hostage killed by the "ISIL" in recent months, after two US reporters and two British aid workers were beheaded.
Sunday's video was substantially different from the previous "ISIL" recordings. Kassig was not shown alive in the footage, and no direct threats were made against other Western hostages.
British Prime Minister David Cameron said he was "horrified" by the "cold-blooded murder" which French President Francois Hollande called a "crime against humanity."
The claim of Kassig's killing came as Washington prepares to double its military personnel in Iraq to up to 3,100 as part of the international campaign it heads against the "ISIL".
The latest video also showed a highly choreographed sequence of the beheadings of at least 18 prisoners said to be Syrian officers and pilots.
The terrorists are shown marching the prisoners past a wooden box of long military knives, each taking one as he passed, then forcing them to kneel in a line and decapitating them.
"Today, we're slaughtering the soldiers of Bashar," the same black-clad militant said in the video.
"Tomorrow, we'll be slaughtering your (US) soldiers. And with Allah's permission, we will break this final and last crusade, and the "ISIL" will... begin to slaughter your people on your streets."
Sunday's video came as "ISIL" suffered battleground losses in Iraq backed by US-led air strikes, with government forces on Saturday breaking the extremists' months-long siege of Iraq's largest oil refinery.
Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team
