The Islamic State (IS) beheaded a Muslim convert and former US army ranger who had travelled to Syria on a humanitarian mission, according to a purported video of the execution released Sunday.
The death of Abdul-Rahman Kassig, previously known as Peter, came weeks after the terrorist group said it would kill the young man because of US bombing in Syria.
Standing over the young man’s severed head, a militant with a British accent says in the IS video, “This is Peter Edward Kassig, a US citizen of your country. Peter, who fought against the Muslims in Iraq while serving as a soldier under the American army, doesn’t have much to say.” The video doesn’t depict the militant beheading Kassig.
The militant appears to be the same one who carried out the previous beheadings. US and British authorities have identified the man but have not released any information about him to the public.
Kassig was detained October 1, 2013 in eastern Syria while travelling in an ambulance.
Kassig, 26, is the fifth Western hostage to be killed by the IS in a series of gruesome videos. The latest video was the longest in length, running more than 15 minutes and showed other men, apparently Syrian government soldiers, being decapitated.
In a statement Sunday, Kassig’s family said, “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. We will have no other statement at this time and ask that you please respect our privacy.”
Kassig’s family had reportedly appealed to the IS not to kill their son but to no avail. The family has also tried to sway the group with its repeated statements about his Islamic conversion. His family said Kassig, who was raised in Indiana, converted to Islam last year while sharing a cell with a devout Syrian Muslim. The family said the conversion process started before he was taken hostage.