Britain vows action after ‘pure evil’ murder of aid worker by IS

Condemning an act of “pure evil”, Prime Minister David Cameron vowed Sunday that Britain would do all it can to catch the killers of a British aid worker beheaded by Islamic State militants. In its third apparent beheading of a Western hostage in less than a month, the IS, also known as ISIS or ISIL, on Saturday released a video showing the execution of Briton David Haines and threatening the life of another British captive. As U.S. President Barack Obama offered support for its “ally in grief”, Cameron faced growing calls to allow Britain’s military to help in Washington’s planned assault against the jihadist group that has seized parts of Syria and Iraq.

We will do everything in our power to hunt down these murderers and ensure they face justice, however long it takes.

British Prime Minister David Cameron

Cameron chaired a meeting of the government’s Cobra emergency committee early Sunday in response to the online video, which featured a masked IS militant claiming the execution was in retribution for Britain’s role in the campaign against the group. Cameron called the attack “a despicable and appalling murder of an innocent aid worker”. Haines was taken hostage in Syria in March 2013 and was threatened in a video released this month showing the beheading by an IS militant of U.S. journalist Steven Sotloff. Haines was a 44-year-old father of two. He joined ACTED to help coordinate the delivery of clean water, food and tents to Syrian refugee camps. The second British citizen being held hostage has been identified as aid worker Alan Henning.

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