ISIS beheads American journalist on video in response to US military action in Iraq

The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has reportedly released a video on the internet that shows the beheading of a United States (US) journalist who has been missing since 2012.

The video is called A Message to America and shows a militant clad in black in a dessert declaring that the murder of James Foley was an act of revenge against US-aided military operation against ISIS in Iraq. He speaks with a British accent as he stands beside a man who is kneeling on the ground dressed in orange clothing, reported the BBC.

The White House is yet to ascertain if the video is genuine but has said that it will be appalled if it is.

Foley's mother, Diane, said on Facebook that she was proud of her son who gave his life trying to expose the suffering of people in war-torn Syria.

Foley had worked for America's Global Post and French news agency AFP and had reported extensively across the Middle East.

He had once said in an interview in 2012 that he was drawn to the drama of the conflict and wanted to expose untold stories.

He was also held in Libya in 2011 for a short period.