A new video released Monday by the Islamic State appears to show hostage John Cantlie, dressed in plainclothes instead of the orange jumpsuit seen in previous messages, "reporting" for the extremist group in Syria and warning that the battle for key town Kobani is "coming to an end."

The British photojournalist was kidnapped in Syria with American James Foley in November 2012. Foley was beheaded by the terrorist group in August.

In the propaganda video released by the Islamic State on social media, Cantlie says, "For a month now the soldiers of the Islamic State have been besieging this key Kurdish city."

"And despite American air strikes which have cost nearly half a billion dollars in total, the mujahadeen have pushed deep into the city," he continues. "They now control the eastern and southern sectors."

"Now the battle for Kobani is coming to an end," Cantlie goes on. "The mujahedeen are just mopping up now, street to street, and building to building."

Cantlie has appeared in at least five Islamic State videos since his capture. This is the second to be released following the death of his father Paul, who had recorded a video message from his hospital bed urging the group to release his son.

Meanwhile, a Syrian activist group said Sunday that the death toll in 40 days of fighting in and around Kobani, the northern Syrian border town, has reached 815, as Kurdish fighters battled the Islamic militants.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the death toll includes 21 Kurdish civilians and 302 fighters with the main Kurdish force known as the Peoples Protection Units, or YPG. It said 481 fighters with the Islamic State group have been killed since the battles began.

Islamic State fighters launched a wide offensive on Kobani in mid-September capturing dozens of Kurdish villages and entering parts of the town. The attack has displaced more than 200,000 people who have crossed into Turkey.

