The Norwegian man had been identified as Ole Johan Grimsgaard-Ofstad, 48, a graduate student in political philosophy from Porsgrunn, south of Oslo.
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A stamp-like caption overlaid on one of the photos read, “Executed after being “abandoned by the kafir (disbeliever) nations and organisations”. “The Chinese side has taken note of the relevant report and is deeply shocked by that”, Hong said.
“We are working on the authentication of this information and photographs published today”, he said, referring to the photographs in Dabiq.
In its previous issue of Dabiq, it had said the two captives were “for sale”. Both France and Russian Federation said they have intensified airstrikes on the group’s strongholds in Syria.
It has used its magazine and other media arms to publicise its gruesome murders, including the beheadings of American journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff, Japanese journalist Kenji Goto, U.S. aid worker Abdul-Rahman Kassig and others.
The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group says it has killed one Norwegian and one Chinese captive.
Solberg reiterated that Norway would never pay ransom, saying “it will put more Norwegians in danger, help the funding of terrorism, and breach our global obligations”.
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In September, the IS said it had captured Grimsgaard-Ofstad and Fan Jinghui, and demanded an unspecified ransom for their release. However, the last post on Grimsgaard-Ofstad’s Facebook page, dated January 24, said he had arrived in Idlib, Syria, on his way to Hama.
