Article content

A senior Al-Qaeda jihadist has spoken out in defence of a Western hostage slated as the next to be beheaded by the rival extremists ISIS in Syria.

Abdulrahman Kassig, the American Muslim convert and aid worker formerly known as Peter, has been named by Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham as the next victim in their series of videoed murders of British and U.S. captives.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Senior Al-Qaeda jihadist in Syria urges ISIS to free American hostage who gave him medical treatment Back to video

Tweets by some ISIS members warned that Mr. Kassig was to be killed Wednesday, as a “deadline” passed for meeting their demands – that America call off its bombing campaign.

But the ISIS threat to Mr. Kassig has caused dissent from within the ranks of fellow jihadists, with a number of Islamists speaking out in support of him, particularly because of his conversion. Abu Omar Aqidi, a prominent member of Jabhat Al-Nusra, said in a public statement that he had been told that Mr. Kassig was the medic who treated him and other fellow jihadists.