President Obama has confirmed that Kayla Mueller the American hostage held by ISIS was killed, days after the radical terror organization claimed she died during an airstrike by Jordan.
Obama in a statement the White House released said with profound sadness that we learned that Kayla Mueller has been killed.
The statement continued by saying that on behalf of all Americans, Michelle and I convey our deepest condolences to the Mueller family including Carl and Marsha her parents and Eric her brother and his family.
Last Friday, ISIS had claimed that Mueller had been killed but gave no evidence that she had died, prompting people to doubt the claim.
A White House spokesperson from the National Security Council said that this past weekend, the Mueller’s received a private message from the IS captors that had been holding Kayla that contained more information.
Once officials could authenticate that information through the intelligence community, the conclusion was made that Kayla was dead.
An official in with U.S. intelligence told a news agency that it was unclear how or when Mueller was killed. Another added that no evidence existed that a Jordanian airstrike had been responsible for killing her, as was claimed by ISIS.
Carl and Marsha, Mueller’s parents released a short statement after the one by the White House.
They said they were heartbroken from the confirmation that Kayla was killed. They said their daughter was compassionate and a devoted humanitarian. She dedicated her entire life to helping those in need of peace, justice and freedom.
Mueller was kidnapped on August 4, 2013 when leaving a hospital in Aleppo, Syria operated by Spanish Doctors Without Borders.
In 2008, she graduated from Northern Arizona University and was devoted to helping those around the world in need.
Mueller had told her local newspaper in Prescott, Arizona that she was called to help the suffering in the Syrian conflict.