Islamic State group beheads British hostage

An Internet video released on Friday purports to show an Islamic State (IS) fighter beheading British hostage Alan Henning, the fourth such killing carried out by the militant group now targeted in US-led air strikes. The video mirrored other beheading videos shot by the IS, which now 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,’ the masked militant in the video said. US National Security Council Spokesperson Caitlin Hayden confirmed that Kassig was being held by the IS militants, in a statement issued on Friday evening. ‘At this point we have no reason to doubt the authenticity of the video released earlier today. We will continue to use every tool at our disposal – military, diplomatic, law enforcement and intelligence – to try to bring Peter home to his family,’ Hayden said, according to AP.