IS 'executes' Chinese, Norwegian hostages

The Islamic State group said on Wednesday it had killed two hostages, one Chinese and a Norwegian.

Its English-language Dabiq magazine featured graphic photos of two bodies that appeared to be Chinese hostage Fan Jinghui and Norwegian Ole-Johan Grimsgaard-Ofstad.

A stamp-like caption overlaid on the full-page photo read: "Executed after being abandoned by the kafir (disbeliever) nations and organisations."

It was unclear when, where or how they were killed, but their heads were bloodied by apparent gunshot wounds.

The Norwegian prime minister's office said the IS photos "seem to show that the hostage Ole-Johan Grimsgaard-Ofstad was executed. We are still verifying it."

China confirmed Fan's "inhuman" death in a statement posted on the foreign ministry website on Thursday, vowing to bring his killers to justice.

"The terrorist organisation has no regard for human decency and the bottom line of morality," ministry spokesman Hong Lei said. 

"The Chinese government strongly condemns this inhuman atrocity; we must bring these criminals to justice."

President Xi Jinping was quoted by state media as saying: "Terrorism is the public enemy of human beings."

The two men were last featured in Dabiq's September edition, in which IS published an "advertisement" that they were "for sale".

The magazine also featured an article entitled "Paradigm Shift II" allegedly penned by British hostage John Cantlie as a sequel to the last piece published under his name in Dabiq's March issue. 

The essay claims media outlets, security services and experts are acknowledging IS "is a genuine state", and comes after a long absence of Cantlie's "work", which is regularly featured in the magazine.