TNN, London :
British taxi driver Alan Henning, who skipped Christmas with his family to raise funds to purchase ambulances and medical equipment and join an aid convoy to Syria, has been beheaded by Islamic State militants.
Henning (47) from Eccles, Greater Manchester had been held captive in Syria for nine months by IS militants.
Despite repeated requests from his wife who said that Henning “was working with Muslims to help the most vulnerable within Syria” IS on Friday night released a video showing Henning’s beheading, making him the fourth western hostage and the second Briton to have been killed. The others who were beheaded on video were US journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff and Scottish aid worker David Haines.
In the video 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 the video, titled “Another Message to America and its allies,” a masked man standing behind Henning, who is seen kneeling in front, says “The blood of David Haines was on your hands David Cameron. Alan Henning will also be slaughtered but his blood is on the hands of British parliament.”
British prime minister David Cameron said the brutal murder shows how barbaric and repulsive “these terrorists are”.
Cameron said “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 IS terrorists. We will do all we can to hunt down these murderers and bring them to justice”.
The UK foreign office said in a statement “We are aware of the video and are working urgently to verify the contents. 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 video also shows the jihadist then parading American hostage Peter Kassig. He says, “Obama, you have started your aerial bombardment in Syria which keeps on striking our people. So it’s only right we continue to strike the necks of your people”.
