Islamic State yesterday released a video showing hostage John Cantlie claiming the battle for the Syrian border town Kobani is “coming to an end”.
The 43-year-old British photojournalist, who has been held captive for over two years, said IS militants were “mopping up” against Kurdish fighters and it was not an “all-out battle”, contrary to western media reports, in the latest propaganda film.
It is the second video he has featured in since the death of his father, Paul Cantlie (80), from complications following pneumonia last week.
Earlier yesterday, a suicide bomber killed at least 27 Shia militiamen on the outskirts of the Iraqi town of Jurf al-Sakhar after security forces pushed out IS militants.
The attacker, driving a Humvee packed with explosives and probably stolen from government troops, also wounded 60 Shia militiamen, who had helped government forces retake the town south of the capital.
Holding Jurf al-Sakhar is critical for Iraqi security forces, which managed to drive out the Sunni insurgents after months. It could allow Iraqi forces prevent them from edging closer to Baghdad, sever connections to strongholds in western Anbar and stop them infiltrating the mainly Shia Muslim south.
The US led a dozen air strikes against IS militants in Syria and Iraq on Sunday and yesterday, including at Kobani. – (Reuters/PA)