The US has said that the video purportedly showing the beheading of Steven Sotloff by Islamic militants is authentic.
In the clip, entitled ‘A Second Message To America’, the 31-year-old journalist can be seen dressed in an orange jumpsuit. He was forced to read out a statement before he was killed.
The militant warned that a British hostage, also shown in the video, will be next and said: “I’m back, Obama, and I’m back because of your arrogant foreign policy towards the Islamic State… despite our serious warnings.”
Sotloff, who went missing in Syria in 2013, appeared in the video showing the murder of fellow journalist James Foley. He was threatened with death unless the US called off airstrikes targeting IS in Iraq.
US National Security Council spokesperson Caitlin Hayden is quoted by BBC News as saying: “The US Intelligence Community has analysed the recently released video showing US citizen Steven Sotloff and has reached the judgement that it is authentic.”
A spokesman for the Sotloff family previously issued the following statement: “The family knows of this horrific tragedy and is grieving privately. There will be no public comment from the family during this difficult time.”
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