British journalist John Cantlie is still alive and hostage of Islamic State, says minister
John Cantlie was abducted in November 2012 alongside US journalist Jim Foley, who was later murdered by IS.
Tuesday 5 February 2019 23:20, UK
John Cantlie, the British journalist taken hostage by Islamic State in Syria more than six years ago, is still alive, a government minister has said.
Security minister Ben Wallace made the claim during a briefing with foreign journalists in London that emerged on Tuesday but he gave no further details.
It is highly unusual for a government minister to comment on an ongoing hostage case.
Mr Cantlie, who fronted a number of English-language propaganda videos for his captors, has not been heard from in more than two years.
During that time a US-led coalition in support of Iraqi forces and Syrian militias has recaptured the majority of territory held by IS in Syria and Iraq.
A Twitter account set up by supporters of the photojournalist posted a message in response to Mr Wallace's comments.
"We are aware of the current news circulating that John Cantlie is alive, whilst this is not substantiated at present, we continue to hope and pray that this turns out to be true," the account, Free John Cantlie, tweeted.
Last month, an official with the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, working to take back the final pockets of IS-held territory, said MrCantlie might still be alive in the area of Hajin town in the eastern Syria province of Deir Ezzor.
Mr Cantlie is thought to be the last known British hostage held by IS.
He was abducted in November 2012 alongside Jim Foley, an American journalist who was the first to be beheaded on video by a British IS member called Mohammed Emwazi, also known as Jihadi John.
Emwazi was killed in a US drone strike in Syria in 2015.
Mr Cantlie wrote in an online IS magazine called Dabiq that he was detained with three American and two British hostages killed by Emwazi.
The three other suspected members of an IS hostage team dubbed the Beatles that tortured and beheaded hostages have themselves been detained.