Islamic State militants 'behead US journalist'

The Islamic State (IS) has released a graphic video online that appears to show a masked man beheading US journalist James Foley, who went missing in Syria in 2012. The militant group said that the beheading was revenge for recent US air strikes on Islamic State targets.

The video, titled ‘A Message to America’, shows a man who appears to be James Foley dressed in an orange jumpsuit and kneeling down in the desert next to an armed masked man, dressed in black. The man who appears to be Foley then speaks, blaming his imminent death on the US government’s decision to bomb Islamic State targets in Iraq.

The masked man, who speaks with a British accent and identifies himself as an Islamic State member, then says: “As a government, you have been at the forefront of aggression towards the Islamic State.” After speaking, the masked militant appears to cut Foley’s neck before the video fades to black.

The video ends by showing another captive, identified as US journalist Steven Sotloff, and a warning that his fate depends on US President Barack Obama’s next move. Mr Sotloff was abducted last year in northern Syria.

US officials have confirmed that they have seen this video and are trying to establish its authenticity. The White House has said that if this video is proven to be genuine, the US would be “appalled”.

The Islamic State, formerly known as ISIS, have been accused of massacring hundreds of people in their self-declared state that spans across regions of Iraq and Syria. They have targeted Christians, Yazidis, and Shia Muslims, all whom they regard as heretics. It is estimated that their recent violenece has displaced 1.2 million people in Iraq alone.

On Tuesday, the militant group released a video, telling Americans that they “will drown you all in blood”. Last week, the Islamic State posted a Twitter message, saying “we are in your state, we are in your cities, we are in your streets” with a picture of their flag with the White House in the background.