U.S Hostage Killed By IS Militants

               A video released onto the internet claims to show that Islamic State militants have killed the captured United States aid worker, Abdul-Rahman Kassig.
In the video, a masked militant stands over a severed head said to be that of Mr. Kassig.
                  It was not immediately possible to confirm the authenticity of the video, showing a group of Syrian troops being killed.
                 Mr. Kassig, also known as Peter, was captured last year, the BBC reports.
In October, an IS video of the killing of British aid worker Alan Henning had ended with a threat to Mr. Kassig.

The U.S National Security Council said the intelligence community was working as quickly as possible to determine the latest video’s authenticity
“If confirmed, we are appalled by the brutal murder of an innocent American aid worker and we express our deepest condolences to his family and friends,” NSC spokesperson, Bernadette Meehan, said.
Mr. Kassig’s parents, who live in the U.S state of Indiana, last month released extracts of a letter written by their son, in which he told of the strains of captivity.
“This is the hardest thing a man can go through, the stress and fear are incredible,” the aid worker wrote.
“They tell us you have abandoned us and/or don’t care but of course we know you are doing everything you can and more.
“Don’t worry Dad, if I do go down, I won’t go thinking anything, but what I know to be true. That you and mom love me more than the moon and the stars.”