Reports: IS Beheads Second American Journalist

An IS militant in a video which purports to show the beheading of US journalist Steven Sotloff has warned that a British hostage will be next.

Mr Sotloff was last seen in Syria in August 2013. He appeared in a video released last month by the Islamist group showing the murder of fellow journalist James Foley, who was beheaded.

In that video, the 31-year-old from Florida was threatened with death unless the US stopped airstrikes targeting IS in Iraq.

Tuesday's film carried the title A Second Message to America and was released just days after Mr Sotloff's mother Shirley pleaded for his release.

The freelance journalist, who had worked for Time and Foreign Policy magazines, is seen dressed in an orange jumpsuit in the video.

A masked militant in the video with an English accent tells governments to back off "this evil alliance of America against the Islamic State".

Mr Sotloff worked as a freelance journalist in the Middle East

He warns that a British hostage - who is shown kneeling at knifepoint - will be targeted next.

The extremist says: "I'm back, Obama, and I'm back because of your arrogant foreign policy towards the Islamic State ... despite our serious warnings."

Sky's US Correspondent Dominic Waghorn said that according to Site - a US terror video monitoring agency in Maryland - the footage showed Mr Sotloff being beheaded by the same man, believed to be British, who killed Mr Foley.

Sky's Foreign Affairs Editor Sam Kiley watched the video and said: "The killer is holding an identical knife, standing just behind and to the left of Mr Sotloff.

"He is also armed with a shoulder holster identical to the one that carried a pistol on his last video, just prior to the murder of James Foley.

"He has got exactly the same accent... but it is clear that the voice has been somehow treated or adjusted.

"There is some kind of disguising mechanism that has been put to use to try to further hide his identity in addition to the black mask that reveals only his eyes."

White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said: "The intelligence community will work as quickly as possible to determine its authenticity.

Journalist James Foley was murdered in a video two weeks ago

"If the video is genuine we are sickened by this brutal act, taking the life of another innocent American citizen. Our hearts go out to the Sotloff family."

She would not be drawn on whether current events meant the US was at war with IS, formerly known as ISIS and ISIL, which has claimed territory across Syria and Iraq.

Hours after the video emerged, President Barack Obama authorised a State Department request for 350 extra US military troops to be stationed in Iraq.

The White House said the troops would "protect our diplomatic facilities and personnel in Baghdad".

"The President has made clear his commitment to doing whatever is required to provide the necessary security for US personnel and facilities around the world," a White House statement said.

British Prime Minister David Cameron, who will be chairing a meeting of the Government's emergency committee Cobra on Wednesday morning, said: "If verified, this is a despicable and barbaric murder.

"We have already been working hard to keep British people safe and we will continue to do all we can to protect our country and our people from these barbaric terrorists."

The Foreign Office said it was also "urgently working to verify the authenticity of the video".

Mr Sotloff's relatives said they were aware of "this horrific tragedy" and were "grieving privately".

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