US President Barack Obama on Tuesday confirmed the death of Kayla Jean Mueller, who was taken hostage in Syria by the Islamic State group, and vowed to track down her captors.
“No matter how long it takes, the United States will find and bring to justice the terrorists who are responsible for Kayla’s captivity and death,” he said in a statement.
The 26-year-old aid worker from Arizona was captured in August 2013 in Aleppo.
The IS group claimed last week she had been killed in an air strike by a Jordanian warplane in the Syrian city of Raqa, the militant group’s self-proclaimed “capital.”
The White House said that over the weekend IS had sent Mueller’s family a “private message” with additional information, that was “authenticated” by intelligence, allowing them to confirm her death.
Parents Carl and Marsha Mueller today voiced their heartbreak at the death of their daughter, but said they were proud of her and the humanitarian work she did.
“Our hearts are breaking for our only daughter, but we will continue on in peace, dignity, and love for her.”