IS video purports British hostage beheading

Islamic State militants released on Friday a video showing the beheading of British hostage Alan Henning, according to the SITE Intelligence Group and news agencies.

Entitled, "Another Message to America and its Allies," the one-minute video shows the British aid worker introducing himself and delivering a message to the British government, SITE confirmed to DW.

Henning recites: "Because of our parliament's decision to attack the Islamic State, I, as a member of the British public, will now pay the price for that decision."

According to the Associated Press news agency, the video also contained a warning to the United States President.

"Obama, you have started your aerial bombardment of [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 said.

According to AP, the video ends by showing another hostage, identified as an American, being threatened.

Fourth murder

In an initial reaction, British Prime Minister David Cameron called the video proof of further brutality on the part of IS.

"The brutal murder of Alan Henning by [IS] shows just how barbaric and repulsive these terrorists are," Cameron said in a statement released by his Downing Street office.

"We will do all we can to hunt down these murderers and bring them to justice."

Obama said he "strongly condemns" Henning's killing, adding that the US and its allies will "work to bring the perpetrators of Alan's murder" to justice, and continue to take "decisive action to degrade and ultimately destroy" IS.

The video's authenticity was still to be confirmed - though it mirrored three other videos showing the slaying of hostages by an IS militant. The voice of the masked man speaks English with a similar British accent to the other videos.

The full beheadings are not shown in any of the videos, but the militant holds a knife and looks to begin cutting the neck of the men held captive.

They include American reporters James Foley and Steven Sotloff and British aid worker David Haines.

On Friday, the father of John Cantlie, a British photojournalist also held by the group, appealed for his release in a video, saying he was a "friend of Syria."

glb/dr (Reuters, AP)