Just one day after the release of a horrific video showing the beheading of American journalist James Foley, it is being reported that jihadists from the Islamic State have taken a Dane as hostage. 

 

The Guardian reported late on Wednesday that a Danish citizen is one of four new Western hostages seized by Islamic State, the terrorist organisation formerly known as Isis. The newspaper says that the other captives are two Italian women and a Japanese national. 

 

As of Thursday morning, the Danish Foreign Ministry had not confirmed that a Dane has been taken by the militants. 

 

According to the Guardian, the man who murdered Foley is leading the group of militants holding the foreign captives. 

 

“The English jihadist who beheaded the American journalist James Foley is believed to be the leader of a group of British fighters holding foreign hostages in Syria,” the paper writes.

 

A Danish freelance photographer was held hostage by the Islamic State for 13 months in Syria before being released in June. A ransom was reportedly paid for Daniel Rye Ottosen’s release.