Latest news with #PeterKassig
CBS News
12-05-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Search by FBI, Qatar uncovers remains of 30 people believed killed by ISIS in Syria
The remains of 30 people believed to have been killed by the militant Islamic State group have been found in a remote Syrian town in a search led by Qatari search teams and the FBI, according to a statement from Qatar on Monday. The Qatari internal security forces said the FBI had requested the search, and that DNA tests are currently underway to determine the identities of the people. The Qatari agency did not say whom the American intelligence and security agency is trying to find. However, the Reuters news agency, citing two sources briefed on the mission, said they were searching for the remains of American hostages killed by ISIS. Dozens of foreigners, including aid workers and journalists, were killed by ISIS militants who had controlled large swaths of Syria and Iraq for half a decade and declared a so-called caliphate. The militant group lost most of its territory in late 2017 and was declared defeated in 2019. Since then, dozens of gravesites and mass graves have been discovered in northern Syria containing remains and bodies of people ISIS had abducted over the years. American journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff, as well as humanitarian workers Kayla Mueller and Peter Kassig are among those killed by ISIS. A Syrian source told Reuters that the initial search was focused on was on finding the remains of Kassig, who was beheaded in 2014 in northern Syria. "We are grateful to all those who are involved in the effort to get these deceased individuals' remains identified and returned to their home countries and loved ones," the Kassig family said in a statement to Reuters. John Cantlie, a British correspondent, was abducted alongside Foley in 2012, and was last seen alive in one of the extremist group's propaganda videos in 2016. The search took place in the town of Dabiq, near Syria's northern border with Turkey. ISIS released videos in 2014 and 2015 of the beheadings of Foley, Sotloff, and Kassig. A similar video was released of two abducted Japanese aid workers who were beheaded by the extremists in a similar way. A masked man who was doing the killings and speaking in English on the videos was later identified as Mohammed Emwazi, a British citizen of Kuwaiti origin from London, known as "Jihadi John." He was killed in November 2015 in a targeted U.S. and British drone strike. Mass graves have also found in areas previously controlled by Syrian President Bashar Assad who was ousted in a lightning insurgency last December, ending his family's half-century rule. For years, the Assads used their notorious security and intelligence agencies to crack down on dissidents, many who have gone missing. First responders carry a body at the site of a mass grave in Raqqa, Syria, the city that served as the de facto capital of the Islamic State group, Sept. 7, 2019. Maya Alleruzzo / AP American journalist Austin Tice, abducted in 2012 in a contested area in western Syria, is among the most prominent cases of the missing. He was last seen a video weeks later, showing him being taken captive by armed men. The U.S. administration in December said he is still believed to be alive, though Washington admitted at the time it had no direct evidence of Tice's wellbeing. Washington had for years maintained that Tice was held by Syria's now-former authorities. In an interview with "CBS Mornings" in December, Tice's parents said they had not seen video evidence that he is alive, and they don't know where he is. "We haven't seen ... video evidence since the initial video that came out shortly after he was taken, but there has been confirmation from folks that have had eyes on him, and that even fairly recently," Marc Tice said. "So, again, we are confident that he is alive and we know he's ready to come home." The United Nations in 2021 estimated that over 130,000 Syrians were taken away and disappeared during the uprising that began in 2011 and descended into a 13-year civil war.
Japan Times
11-05-2025
- Politics
- Japan Times
Qataris search for bodies of Americans killed by Islamic State in Syria
A Qatari mission has begun searching for the remains of U.S. hostages killed by Islamic State in Syria a decade ago, two sources briefed on the mission said, reviving a longstanding effort to recover their bodies. Islamic State, which controlled swathes of Syria and Iraq at the peak of its power from 2014-2017, beheaded numerous people in captivity, including Western hostages, and released videos of the killings. Qatar's international search and rescue group began the search on Wednesday, accompanied by several Americans, the sources said. The group, deployed by Doha to earthquake zones in Morocco and Turkey in recent years, had so far found the remains of three bodies, the sources said. One of the sources — a Syrian security source — said the remains had yet to be identified. The second source said it was unclear how long the mission would last. The U.S. State Department had no immediate comment. The Qatari mission gets under way as U.S. President Donald Trump prepares to visit Doha and other Gulf Arab allies next week and as Syria's ruling Islamists, close allies of Qatar, seek relief from U.S. sanctions. The Syrian source said the mission's initial focus was on looking for the body of aid worker Peter Kassig, who was beheaded by Islamic State in 2014 in Dabiq in northern Syria. The second source said Kassig's remains were among those they hoped to find. In a statement, the Kassig family said it was waiting for analysis seeking to confirm the identities of the dead. "We are grateful to all those who are involved in the effort to get these deceased individuals' remains identified and returned to their home countries and loved ones," it said. U.S. journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff were among other Western hostages killed by Islamic State. Their deaths were confirmed in 2014. U.S. aid worker Kayla Mueller was also killed in Islamic State captivity. She was raped repeatedly by Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi before her death, U.S. officials have said. Her death was confirmed in 2015. "We're grateful for anyone taking on this task and risking their lives in some circumstances to try and find the bodies of Jim and the other hostages," said Diane Foley, James Foley's mother. "We thank all those involved in this effort." The jihadists were eventually driven out of their self-declared caliphate by a U.S.-led coalition and other forces. Plans for the Qatari mission were discussed during a visit to Washington in April by Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and the Minister of State for the foreign ministry, Mohammed Al Khulaifi — a trip also designed to prepare for Trump's visit to Qatar, one of the sources said. Another person familiar with the issue said there had been a longstanding commitment by successive U.S. administrations to find the remains of the murdered Americans, and that there had been multiple previous "efforts with U.S. government officials on the ground in Syria to search very specific areas." The person did not elaborate. But the U.S. has had hundreds of troops deployed in northeastern Syria that have continued pursuing the remnants of Islamic State. The person said the remains of Kassig, Sotloff and Foley were most likely in the same general area, and that Dabiq had been one of Islamic State's "centerpieces" — a reference to its propaganda value as a place named in an Islamic prophecy. Mueller's case differed in that she was in Baghdadi's custody, the person said. Two Islamic State members, both former British citizens who were part of a cell that beheaded American hostages, are serving life prison sentences in the United States. Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who seized power from Bashar al-Assad in December, battled Islamic State when he was the commander of another jihadist faction — the al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front — during the Syrian war. Sharaa severed ties to al Qaeda in 2016.
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Yahoo
Remains of Indiana man killed by ISIS in 2014 may have been found
INDIANAPOLIS (WXIN) — The remains of an Indianapolis man killed by ISIS in 2014 may have been located in Syria recently. According to a report from Reuters, a Qatari group has been searching for the remains of some American hostages who were killed by ISIS more than a decade ago. Reuters reported that the group conducting the mission consists of officials from Qatar and a few Americans. Reuters' report indicates that the group's initial focus was on locating the remains of Peter Kassig, an Indianapolis native also known as Abdul-Rahman Peter Kassig. Previous reporting from FOX59/CBS4 indicates Kassig was one of the individuals beheaded during a 16-minute video released by ISIS in 2014. Per Reuters, at the time of Kassig's death, Islamic State controlled large portions of Syria and Iraq. Per a previous report, the 26-year-old Kassig was working in the area as an aid worker, assisting victims of the Syrian Civil War via a nonprofit group he created. According to FOX59/CBS4's previous reporting, Kassig was first captured by ISIS in October 2013. ISIS released the video depicting Kassig and others' beheadings on Nov. 16, 2014. Reuters reported that the Qatari group has recovered the remains of three individuals so far. None of the recovered remains have been officially identified yet. Kassig's parents, Ed and Paula Kassig, released a statement on the Qatari group's efforts Sunday morning. 'We learned yesterday from the U.S. government of a collaborative effort involving Qatar, the United States, and at least one nongovernmental group,' the Kassig family wrote in a prepared statement. 'This work has found remains of some individuals in or near Dabiq, Syria. Some or all of these people may have been killed by ISIS. It is possible that the remains include those of our son, Peter Kassig, also known as Abdul-Rahman Peter Kassig. We are awaiting an analysis that will try to determine the identities of the deceased. 'We are grateful to all those who are involved in the effort to get these deceased individuals' remains identified and returned to their home countries and loved ones. Until more is known, we will have no further comment. Thank you for allowing us privacy during this time.' According to Reuters' report, the group believed Kassig's remains would be located near those of slain U.S. journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff, both of whom were hostages killed by Islamic State in 2014. In its initial report, Reuters indicated that it is currently unknown exactly how long the Qatari group's search for the remains of slain American hostages will continue. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Shafaq News
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Decade later: Mission to recover ISIS victims
Shafaq News/ A Qatari search-and-rescue team has launched an operation in northern Syria to locate the remains of American hostages killed by ISIS around ten years ago, according to two sources familiar with the mission. The extremist group, which controlled large areas of Syria and Iraq between 2014 and 2017, carried out a series of high-profile executions of Western hostages, distributing videos of the killings. The Qatari team—previously deployed to disaster zones in Morocco and Turkiye—began the search last Wednesday, joined by several American personnel. Remains of three individuals have been recovered so far. Their identities have yet to be confirmed. The length of the operation remains unclear, with no official comment from the US State Department. The operation coincides with President Donald Trump's scheduled visit to Doha, Riyadh, and Abu Dhabi this week. It also comes as Syria's new administration moves to ease the impact of US sanctions. Initial efforts have focused on the area around Dabiq in northern Syria, where American aid worker Peter Kassig was executed by ISIS in 2014. The team is working to determine whether his remains are among those already recovered. James Foley and Steven Sotloff, two American journalists, were also killed by ISIS in 2014. Aid worker Kayla Mueller died the following year while in captivity. US officials confirmed she had been repeatedly abused by ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi before her death. While no longer holding territory, ISIS remnants are active in rural Iraq, with security forces conducting regular operations against sleeper cells and suspected militants.
Al Jazeera
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Qatar leads Syria search for bodies of US hostages killed by ISIL: Report
A Qatari mission has begun searching for the remains of United States hostages killed by the ISIL (ISIS) armed group in Syria about 10 years ago, according to the Reuters news agency, citing two sources briefed on the mission. Qatar's International Search and Rescue Group began the search on Wednesday, with the help of several US nationals who wished to remain anonymous, the news agency reported. So far, three unidentified bodies have been found by the group, according to the sources. The mission's focus was on locating the body of aid worker Peter Kassig, who was beheaded by ISIL in 2014 in Dabiq, northern Syria, a Syrian security source told Reuters. US aid worker Kayla Mueller as well as US journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff were among other Western hostages killed by ISIL. Foley and Sotloff were confirmed killed in 2014. Mueller's killing was confirmed in 2015. 'We're grateful for anyone taking on this task and risking their lives in some circumstances to try and find the bodies of Jim and the other hostages,' said Diane Foley, James Foley's mother. 'We thank all those involved in this effort.' The Qatari mission is getting under way as US President Donald Trump prepares to visit Doha and other Gulf Arab capitals next week and as Syria's new government seeks relief from sanctions imposed by the US. Washington, along with some other Western governments, has said it will wait to see how the new authorities exercise their power and ensure human rights before lifting any sanctions. The United Kingdom last month removed its sanctions on 12 Syrian government entities, including the Ministries of Defence and Interior and the General Intelligence Directorate. ISIL once controlled vast swaths of Syria and Iraq, ruling over millions of people. At the peak of its power from 2014-2017, it beheaded numerous people in captivity, including Western hostages, and released videos of the killings. A coalition of more than 80 countries, led by the US, was formed to fight ISIL in September 2014. The war against the group officially ended in March 2019, when US-backed and Kurdish-led fighters of the Syrian Democratic Forces captured the eastern Syrian town of Baghouz, the last sliver of land ISIL controlled. Plans for the Qatari mission were discussed during a visit to Washington in April by Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani and State Minister Mohammed Al Khulaifi – a trip also designed to prepare for Trump's visit to Qatar, one of the sources told Reuters. Another person familiar with the issue said there had been a longstanding commitment by successive US administrations to find the remains of the murdered US nationals, and that there had been multiple previous 'efforts with US government officials on the ground in Syria to search very specific areas'. The person did not elaborate, the report said. But the US has had hundreds of soldiers deployed in northeastern Syria that have continued pursuing ISIL's remnants. The person said the remains of Kassig, Sotloff and Foley were most likely located in this part of the country. Mueller's case was different as she was in the custody of ISIL leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the person added. Two ISIL members, both former UK citizens who were part of a cell dubbed the 'Beatles' that beheaded US hostages, are serving life prison sentences in the US.
