He then went to provide aid to Syrian war refugees and his family said that while in captivity he converted to Islam and took the name Abdul Rahman

Mr Kassig enlisted in the Army in 2006 and served in the Iraq war in 2007

'Jihadi John' tells camera that President Obama's aerial bombardment in Syria means that 'it is only right to continue to strike necks of your people'

An Iraq war veteran who launched his own aid group to provide medical help for Syrian war refugees has been named as the next potential victim of ISIS.

Former U.S. Army Ranger Peter Kassig, 26, has been confirmed as the latest American hostage to be held by Islamic State militants after he featured at the end of a video showing the beheading of British aid worker Alan Henning.

In the footage, which emerged on the internet tonight, Mr Kassig, from Indianapolis, is shown on his knees next to 'Jihadi John'.

The young aid worker is being held by the Jihadi who tells the camera that President Obama's aerial bombardment in Syria means that 'it is only right to continue to strike the necks of your people.'

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Former U.S. Army Ranger and Iraq war veteran Peter Kassig, 26, is believed to be the latest U.S hostage to be held by Islamic State militants in Syria after he featured at the end of Alan Henning's execution video (above)

The 26-year-old, from Indianapolis, (pictured) enlisted in the Army in 2004 and was deployed to Iraq in 2007

While Mr Kassig can be seen on his knees, a caption on the screen reads, 'Peter Edward Kassig (American).'

In a direct address to President Barack Obama, 'Jihadi John' then tells the camera: 'Obama you have started your aerial bombardment in Sham (Syria) which keeps on striking our people, so it's only right we continue to strike the necks of your people.'

U.S. officials confirmed this evening that Kassig was being held by Islamic State militants but declined to give any more details of his capture.

President Obama's counterterrorism adviser, Lisa Monaco, said the US had seen the video and was evaluating it.

'This is again yet another just very clear example of the brutality of this group, and why the president has articulated and is moving out in a comprehensive way to degrade and destroy ISIL,' she said, using an acronym for the group.

'Our hearts go out to the British aid worker who we believe is in that video, and to the remaining hostages and to their families.'

Tonight, Mr Kassig's parents Ed and Paula released a statement in the wake of the video asking people to pray for their son.

They confirmed he was captured on October 1 last year on his way to Deir Ezzour in eastern Syria but said the family had kept silent about his abduction 'at the wish of those who have held their son'.

He was captured on October 1 last year on his way to Deir Ezzour in eastern Syria while providing aid relief

His family said he had converted to Islam while being held captive and had taken the name Abdul Rahman

Mr Kassig, from Indianapolis, was deployed to Iraq for a brief period in 2007 before becoming an aid worker

The family statement added: 'The Kassig family extends our concern for the family of Alan Henning.

'We have read about his work and his generous character with great respect and admiration.

'We ask everyone around the world to pray for the Henning family, for our son, and for the release of all innocent people being held hostage in the Middle East and around the globe.'

The family also added that while in captivity in Syria, Mr Kassig converted to Islam and took the name Abdul Rahman. They said they had heard from former hostages who told them his faith had been providing him comfort.

Butler University in Indianapolis, where Mr Kassig studied political science in 2010, also released a statement in the wake of the video.

It said: 'Peter Kassig was a student at Butler University from 2010 to 2012, majoring in political science.

'Since his time at Butler, Peter has dedicated his life to humanitarian work in the Middle East.

'The thoughts and prayers of the Butler University community are with Peter and his family.'

Indiana Democratic Senator Joe added: 'This is an unimaginably devastating situation for any parent to endure.

'My prayers are with Peter's parents at this terrible time. My family, like everyone in Indiana and across our country, is praying for and thinking of Peter and his family.

'I ask for respect of the Kassig family's privacy as they seek to navigate this heartbreaking situation.

'I ask all Hoosiers to continue to keep Peter in their thoughts and prayers in the days ahead.'

Mr Kassig enlisted in the Army in 2004 and was deployed to Iraq between April 2007 and September 2007

Mr Kassig set up a non-profit organisation called Special Emergency Response and Assistance to provide aid

It is understood that Mr Kassig enlisted in the Army in 2004, and became a Ranger, ultimately serving in the 75th Ranger Regiment - an Army special operations unit.

According to his military record, he trained at Fort Benning in Georgia in 2006, and was deployed to Iraq from April to July 2007.

He was medically discharged at the rank of private first class in September 2007 and returned to the United States to study political science.

However, in 2010, he decided to take time off from his studies and began his certification as an emergency medical technician.

In 2012, he then decided to travel to Beirut to try and help those in need as a result of the Syria crisis.

Last year, in an interview with Time, he said he did so because he was 'interested in what I could learn about the Syrian crisis first-hand and what I could do to help raise awareness about the crisis'.

It was after a short time in the country that he started up his own aid group called Special Emergency Response and Assistance — SERA.

SERA's main focus is to provide 'Syrian refugees in Lebanon and Syria with medical assistance, medical supplies, and clothing for refugees, and non-perishable food as well as cooking fuel, cooking stoves,' and other supplies, according to its Facebook page.

Mr Kassig told Time that he designed the organisation around a belief that 'there was a lot of room for improvement in terms of how humanitarian organizations interact with and cooperate with the populations that they serve.'

SERA, he said, focused on supplementing the work of larger organisations by delivering aid that could 'do the most good for the most people over the longest period of time possible.'

A video claiming to show the beheading of British aid worker Alan Henning emerged on the internet tonight

Mr Henning, 47, was taken hostage by Islamic State militants on Boxing Day last year while giving aid in Syria

'It's about showing people that we care, that someone is looking out for those who might be overlooked or who have slipped through the cracks in the system for whatever reason,' he said.

Writing on his profile page on fundraising website FundRazr, Mr Kassig also said he had previously worked as a medic in a hospital in Tripoli, Lebanon. He said it was during that time that he decided to set up his aid charity.

He said: 'When I first started this cause to help those in need, I was on my own but I saw first-hand the shortages in available resources and supplies for people who were suffering in Lebanon, Syria, and Turkey as a result of the violence.

'The amount of feedback and support from people all around the world motivated me to get organised and develop a platform through which people could send donations to support the continuation of my work.'

During an interview with CNN in 2012, Mr Kassig said he set up the SERA aid group because he was 'an idealist' and 'believed in hopeless causes'.

He said: 'There is this impression, this belief that there is no hope. That's when it's more important than ever that we come in against all odds and we do something.

'We each get one life and that's it. We get one shot at this and we don't get any do-overs, and for me, it was time to put up or shut up,.

'The way I saw it, I didn't have a choice. This is what I was put here to do. I guess I am just a hopeless romantic, and I am an idealist, and I believe in hopeless causes.

'This is real, and it's scary stuff, and it's sad what is happening to people here. People back home need to know about it, they need to know. Sometimes you gotta take a stand, you gotta draw a line somewhere.'

ISIS THREATENS PETER KASSIG IN FOOTAGE OF ALAN HENNING BEHEADING Alan Henning: 'I am Alan Henning. Because of our parliament's decision to attack the Islamic state I as a member of the British public will now pay the price for that decision.' Jihadi John: 'The blood of David Haines was on your hands Cameron, Alan Henning will also be slaughtered but his blood is on the hands of the British parliament.' Jihadi John then steps forward to cut Mr Henning's throat and his body is shown lying on the floor. Peter Kassig is then shown kneeling next to Jihadi John. Jihadi John: 'Obama you have started your aerial bombardment in Sham (Syria) which keeps on striking our people, so it's only right we continue to strike the necks of your people.' Advertisement

Mr Kassig has also previously told how he travelled around the region helping hundreds of Syrians who had been displaced by the conflict.

One of the sacrifices he made was offering his services to a trauma unit which treated severely injured Syrian refugees.

At the time, he added: 'This work is important for the message that it sends to people back home, that one of the best aspects of the American way of life is our ability to come together in the face of adversity and to stand beside those who might need a helping hand.

'In five years, if I can look back on all of this and say that our organisation is able to truly help people, that I was able so share a little bit of hope and that I never stopped learning then I will know this all stood for something.'

In a statement issued this evening, National Security Council spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden said every effort would be made to bring Mr Kassig home.

She said: 'At this point we have no reason to doubt the authenticity of the video released earlier today.