British aid worker Alan Henning has been beheaded by ISIS fighter Jihadi John in a video posted online by the terror group.
Before he is killed, a gaunt and tired looking Mr Henning gives a short forced speech in which he blames his execution on Parliament's decision to launch strikes against Islamic State in Iraq.
Mr Henning, a 47-year-old father-of-two, was kidnapped on Boxing Day last year as he delivered aid to Syrian refugees.
The clip, which is in English with Arabic subtitles, shows Jihadi John stepping forward to cut Mr Henning's throat before the screen turns black, then shows his body lying on the desert floor.
At the end of the footage American war veteran Peter Kassig is shown and threatened with the same fate
Before he is killed, Mr Henning says: 'I am Alan Henning. 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.'
In a thick London accent, the fighter adds: 'The blood of David Haines was on your hands Cameron, Alan Henning will also be slaughtered but his blood is on the hands of the British parliament.'
In the footage, Mr Henning appears visibly thinner than in previous pictures, and has large dark rims underneath his eyes.
After Mr Henning is killed, the black-clad militant reappears with Peter Kassig, who is shown kneeling in the same position as Mr Henning with a caption showing his name.
Jihadi John then adds: 'Obama you have started your aerial bombardment in Sham (Syria) which keeps on striking our people, so it’s only right we continue to strike the necks of your people.'
There were hopes that Mr Henning could be freed after a sharia court set up by Islamic State to investigate claims he was a spy found him innocent.
The footage begins with an English-language news report broadcast on the night Parliament voted to approve airstrikes against Islamic State.
It then cuts to static and fades to black, before the note 'Another message to America and its allies ' appears on the screen in English and Arabic.
This morning, Downing Street revealed that Mr Cameron was meeting with officials from the intelligence agencies, the military and the Foreign Office at his official country residence Chequers to discuss the killing.
Later this morning, he called the slaying 'completely unforgivable' adding that there was 'no level of depravity to which they will not sink'.
'No appeals made any difference,"Mr Cameron told Sky News.
'The murder of Alan Henning is absolutely abhorrent, it is senseless, it is completely unforgivable. Anyone in any doubt about this organisation can now see how truly repulsive it is, and barbaric it is,' he said of IS.
When asked whether he believed the extremists would kill more of their Western hostages, Cameron suggested the only way to stop them was through military action.
'The fact that this was a kind, gentle, compassionate and caring man who had simply gone to help others, the fact they could murder him in the way they did, shows what we are dealing with,' he said.
'This is going to be our struggle now. ... We must do everything we can to defeat this organisation. We must take action against it. We must find those responsible.'
The beheading, which has not yet been confirmed by the Foreign Office, comes just three days after Mr Henning's wife Barbara issued a tearful plea to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).
She said: 'I ask Islamic State please release him, we need him back home.
‘Muslims across the globe continue to question Islamic State over Alan’s fate.
'Their position regarding his situation is unequivocal. He is innocent ... We are at a loss why those leading Islamic State cannot open their hearts and minds to the truth about Alan’s humanitarian motives for going to Syria and why they continue to ignore the verdict of their own justice system [not guilty of spying].
Killing comes days after Mr Henning's wife, Barbara, made an impassioned plea for him to be returned home
Mr Henning was captured by the group on Boxing Day last year as he delivered aid to Syrian refugees
‘Surely those who wish to be seen as a state will act in a statesmanlike way by showing mercy and providing clemency.’
The Foreign Office last night said they were looking into reports that Mr Henning had been killed.
David Cameron said: ‘The brutal murder of Alan Henning by ISIL shows just how barbaric and repulsive these terrorists are.
‘My thoughts and prayers tonight are with Alan’s wife Barbara, their children and all those who loved him.
‘Alan had gone to Syria to help get aid to people of all faiths in their hour of need. The fact that he was taken hostage when trying to help others and now murdered demonstrates that there are no limits to the depravity of these ISIL terrorists.
FOLEY, SOTLOFF AND HAINES: THE OTHER THREE VICTIMS OF JIHADI JOHN
The beheading of U.S. journalist James Foley on August 19 marked the first in a string of grisly killings by the Islamic State fighter who has since become known as Jihadi John.
The video, entitled 'A Message to America', showed Mr Foley kneeling on the ground in the desert, which was subsequently identified as Raqqa, Syria.
Mr Foley went missing on Thanksgiving in 2012 while working for the GlobalPost news agency.
James Foley (left) was the first to be beheaded, followed two weeks later by Steven Sotloff (right)
He was captured by the Jabhat al Nusra terror group near Taftanaz, in northern Syria.
The U.S. government since revealed that it had attempted to rescue Foley, along with several other captives, but found that had been moved at the last moment.
Steven Sotloff, another American journalist who had been working in Syria, was the second victim to be beheaded on September 2 in video entitled 'A Second Message to America'.
At the time, Jihadi John was recorded as saying: 'I’m back, Obama, and I’m back because of your arrogant foreign policy towards the Islamic State.'
Mr Sotloff, the grandson of Holocaust survivors from Miami, freelanced for Time and Foreign Policy magazines, and vanished in Syria in August 2013.
David Haines, a father-of-two, was the first British victim to be beheaded on September 13
He was not seen again until he appeared in a video released online last month that showed Foley's beheading.
David Haines, who was beheaded a week after Mr Sotloff, was the first British victim of Jihadi John. The 44-year-old has a teenage daughter in Scotland and a four-year-old daughter in Croatia.
Mr Haines was taken hostage while working for relief agency ACTED in Syria in March this year. He was captured near the Atmeh refugee camp, just inside the Syrian border with Turkey.
‘We will do all we can to hunt down these murderers and bring them to justice.’
In a statement, the Foreign Office said: 'If true, this is a further disgusting murder. We are offering the family every support possible; they ask to be left alone at this time.'
The White House said it is aware of the video and is evaluating it, a U.S. official said. If proved real, it is 'another demonstration of the brutality' of Islamic State militants, a spokesman said.
Barack Obama said the United States strongly condemned Henning's 'brutal murder.'
He said the U.S., along with Britain and other allies, will 'work to bring the perpetrators of Alan's murder' to justice and will continue 'taking decisive action to degrade and ultimately destroy' the Islamic State group.
The Kassig family released a statement saying: 'The Kassig family extends our concern for the family of Alan Henning.
'We have read about his work and his generous character with great respect and admiration.
'We ask everyone around the world to pray for the Henning family, for our son, and for the release of all innocent people being held hostage in the Middle East and around the globe.'
Butler University also released a statement saying: 'Peter Kassig was a student at Butler University from 2010 to 2012, majoring in political science.
'Since his time at Butler, Peter has dedicated his life to humanitarian work in the Middle East. The thoughts and prayers of the Butler University community are with Peter and his family.'
Indiana Democratic Senator Joe Donnelly said: 'This is an unimaginably devastating situation for any parent to endure. My prayers are with Peter’s parents at this terrible time.
'My family, like everyone in Indiana and across our country, is praying for and thinking of Peter and his family.
'I ask for respect of the Kassig family’s privacy as they seek to navigate this heartbreaking situation. I ask all Hoosiers to continue to keep Peter in their thoughts and prayers in the days ahead.'
The Islamist terror organisation also published a video message from an injured British fighter, challenging David Cameron to send ground troops to Iraq.
Via - Dailymail.
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