The Islamic State claimed that a 26-year-old woman from Prescott, Arizona taken hostage was killed in a Jordanian airstrike.
According to ISIS, the woman, identified as aid worker Kayla Mueller, was killed after Jordanian fighter planes bombed a building where she was being held in Syria.
These claims have not been confirmed as true.
ISIS released a statement identifying Mueller’s phone numbers and other personal information. The statement released Mueller’s full name, which had not previously been made public. There was no photographic evidence provided with the claim.
“The criminal Crusader coalition aircraft bombarded a site outside the city of Raqqah today at noon while the people were performing the Friday prayer,” ISIS said in its statement. “The air assaults were continuous on the same location for an hour.” See here for information and a complete translation of the statement.
Mueller would be the fourth American hostage killed by the Islamic State.
In August 2014, ISIS had demanded a $6.6 million ransom for her release.Mueller was captured in Syria in August 2013 with a group of air workers. Those also captured at this time have already been released.
The state department is aware of the claim but has not authenticated the claim.
“I love cultures and language and learning about people’s cultures,” Mueller said in an early article praising her achievements.
Mueller had been working with Spanish Doctors Without Borders in Aleppo, Syria when she was captured, the Washington Post reports.
Having lived in the Aleppo area since late 2012, Mueller lived with her boyfriend who is Syrian.
She is the daughter of Marsha and Carl Mueller.
At the time of the article’s publication, Mueller had already volunteered for three years with the Save Darfur Coalition.
For more information on Mueller and her accomplishments, see an article in the Daily Courier from 2007.
Featured image: Daily Courier
