ISIS claims to behead U.S. aid worker in graphic video

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ISIS claims to behead U.S. aid worker in graphic video
(Image credit: Facebook / Mercy for Peter Kassig)

The Islamic State on Sunday released a new video purporting to show the severed head of 26-year-old Peter Kassig, an American aid worker and former Army Ranger who was captured last October in Syria. Unlike previous videos ISIS has released of its executions, the latest footage does not show the actual execution, nor does it include a spoken message from the captive.

The White House could not immediately confirm the authenticity of the video. If confirmed, Kassig would be the fifth Western hostage killed by ISIS this year.

UPDATE: President Obama on Sunday confirmed that Kassig had indeed been killed, and condemned ISIS for "an act of pure evil."

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Jon Terbush
Jon Terbush

Jon Terbush is an associate editor at TheWeek.com covering politics, sports, and other things he finds interesting. He has previously written for Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, and Business Insider.