Islamic State militants claim to have killed US Journalist

A video posted by Islamic State Tuesday, showed the beheading of U.S. journalist James Wright Foley, who the militants kidnapped in Syria two years ago, The New York Times reports.

However , the genuineness of the video, which runs for four minutes and 40-seconds, remains to be verified.  It was uploaded to the account of the al- furqan media foundation, reports  Site Intelligence Group, an organization engaged in researching jihadist activists.

In the video, tagged " A Message to America", Foley wearing an orange jumpsuit is seen kneeling in a desert.   An Islamic State militant standing to his left, starts speaking in an East London accent and pulls out a knife. He then says that they are killing Foley in revenge for the American airstrikes against the group in Iraq.

"I call on my friends, family and loved ones to rise up against my real killers - the U.S. government - for what will happen to me is only a result of their complacent criminality," Foley is shown as saying in the video.

He further says that when the United States started dropping bombs in Iraq this month, "they signed my death certificate."

In the end, the IS militant threatens to kill another American freelance journalist, Steven Sotloff,  who was kidnapped in Syria in August 2013. Sotloff is also shown kneeling in the same position as Foley in the  desert.

 "The life of this American citizen, Obama, depends on your next decision," the IS militant said.

Foley's mother Diane posted an emotional statement on Facebook on Tuesday mourning her son's death, according to CNN.  

"We have never been prouder of our son Jim. He gave his life trying to expose the world to the suffering of the Syrian people," she wrote  on the Free James Foley Facebook page.

"We implore the kidnappers to spare the lives of the remaining hostages. Like Jim, they are innocents. They have no control over American government policy in Iraq, Syria or anywhere in the world. "We thank Jim for all the joy he gave us. He was an extraordinary son, brother, journalist and person. Please respect our privacy in the days ahead as we mourn and cherish Jim", she wrote.