The Islamic State (ISIS) on Monday released a new video featuring British hostage John Cantlie, in which he speaks from what is alleged to be the besieged Syrian city of Kobane.
The film begins with footage shot from an “Islamic State Army” drone, according to The Guardian.
The video differs from previous ones in which the 43-year-old British photojournalist has appeared, as this time he is shown in the open air and with a city backdrop behind him rather than behind a desk and wearing an orange jumpsuit, the report noted.
The journalist, who has been held for over two years, says at one point in the latest video that hilly terrain behind him belongs to Turkey, which borders the Syrian region where Kobane is located, and that a Turkish flag can be seen flying in the distance.
Slickly produced and cut with footage of armed men moving through streets, the 5 minute 30 second video begins with footage of a ruined city, which a caption says has been filmed from an ISIS drone.
Cantlie calmly tells viewers that ISIS forces have pushed deep into the heart of Kobane, where they have been battling Kurdish militia, and now control the city’s eastern and southern sectors.
Wearing a black shirt, he also cites recent media reports and comments by a Pentagon official about the fighting over the city and says, “The point is, from where I’m standing right now I can see large swaths of the city.”
“I can even see the Turkish flag flying behind me and all I’ve seen here in the city of Kobani is [ISIS] mujahideen.”
The video comes two days after the release of another video, in which Cantlie said that captives have been waterboarded for trying to escape.
Its release came just days after his father, Paul Cantlie, 80, died from complications after contracting pneumonia.
In the latest video, he also repeats claims that U.S. airdrops meant for Kurdish forces have ended up in the hands of ISIS, saying, “The mujahideen is being resupplied by the hopeless United States air force who parachuted two crates of weapons and ammunition straight into the outstretched arms of the mujahideen.
“The battle for Kobane is coming to an end. The mujahideen are just mopping up now,” he declared, according to The Guardian.
Cantlie was first paraded in front of the cameras last month, promising a series of videos giving the real story of ISIS.
ISIS has released several videos depicting hostages it has taken. It has released videos showing, among others, the execution of the American journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff, as well as a video showing the murder of David Haines, a British aid worker.