Video purports to show beheading of another U.S. journalist

A video purporting to show the killing of American journalist Steven J. Sotloff by the militant group Islamic State was posted on the Internet on Tuesday, according to various media reports.

In the video, a man identifying himself as Sotloff is shown kneeling in the desert. A black-hooded militant stands with him and says, “I’m back, and I’m back because of you, Obama.”

“Just as your missiles continue to strike our people, our knife will continue to strike the necks of your people,” the militant says.

The militant is then shown apparently beginning to cut the throat of the captive, whose head is later shown appearing to lie on the body. The authenticity of the footage could not immediately be verified.

Sotloff, a freelance journalist captured in Syria more than a year ago, appeared at the end of another video released by the Islamic State that showed the death of journalist James Foley.

In that video, a militant forced Sotloff to kneel, grabbed his collar and declared, “The life of this American citizen, Obama, depends on your next decision.”

Sotloff’s mother, Shirley, responded with a video pleading for her son’s life.