SpaceWar.com - Your World At War
UK believes photographer held by IS still alive: reports
London, Feb 5 (AFP) Feb 05, 2019
A British photographer kidnapped by the Islamic State group more than six years ago could still be alive and in captivity, media reports said on Tuesday citing Britain's Security Minister Ben Wallace.

"Wallace told reporters in London that the British government believes (John) Cantlie is still being held by ISIS," CNN reported, using another name for the jihadist group (IS).

The reports said Wallace did not provide any evidence.

A tweet on an account used by Cantlie's family said: "We are aware of the current news circulating that John Cantlie is alive, whilst this is not substantiated at present, we continue to hope and pray that this turns out to be true".

Cantlie was captured first in July 2012 but escaped with help from the Free Syrian Army. He was kidnapped again in Syria along with US reporter James Foley in November 2012.

Foley became the first of a string of foreign hostages to be slain in propaganda videos.

Cantlie, however, appeared in several subsequent videos released by IS in which he delivered jihadist propaganda to the camera in the style of a news report.

His last appearance was in a video shot during the battle for Mosul in 2016 in which he looked very gaunt and tired.

Cantlie is the last remaining British hostage held by IS.


ADVERTISEMENT




Space News from SpaceDaily.com
PLD Space selected as leading contender for ESA sovereign launch initiative
UK thermal satellite firm wins ESA contract to deliver real time climate and security insights
UK opens competitive bid for GBP 75 million orbital cleanup mission

24/7 Energy News Coverage
China speeds up renewables building spree: report
French giant EDF will take 12.5 pecent stake in new UK nuclear plant
Major US teachers union teams up with AI giants

Military Space News, Nuclear Weapons, Missile Defense
BlackSky expands Gen-3 access to bolster Ukraine-focused intelligence operations
Maxar secures $205 million in multi-year deals to boost space capabilities across MEA
K2 Space validates satellite systems in orbit and fires record-breaking thruster

24/7 News Coverage
The long slow death of Norway's wild salmon
Beijing decries 'discriminatory' ban on Chinese purchases of US farmland
China's 'new farmers' learn to livestream in rural revitalisation



All rights reserved. Copyright Agence France-Presse. Sections of the information displayed on this page (dispatches, photographs, logos) are protected by intellectual property rights owned by Agence France-Presse. As a consequence, you may not copy, reproduce, modify, transmit, publish, display or in any way commercially exploit any of the content of this section without the prior written consent of Agence France-Presse.