BEIRUT, October 28 (RIA Novosti) — The Russian Embassy in Syria is investigating recent media reports on the execution of Russian engineer Sergey Gorbunov by Islamic State (IS) militants, an embassy representative told RIA Novosti on Tuesday.
"The Russian Embassy in Syria is checking the information about the alleged execution of Sergey Gorbunov, which Russian media reported with reference to the <…> New York Times," the representative said.
Earlier on Sunday, US media reported that Russian engineer Sergey Gorbunov was shot to death in spring. The last available video of him was dated October 2013, when an appeal for his freedom was recorded by his IS captors.
The radical Sunni group is known for its extreme violence. It has already released a number of videos showing the execution of foreign citizens. Among IS victims are American reporter James Foley, American-Israeli journalist Steven Sotloff and British aid worker Alan Henning.
The IS has been fighting the Syrian government since 2012. In June, it launched an offensive in Iraq and seized vast areas in both countries, proclaiming an Islamic caliphate on the territories under its control. The United States and its allies are currently carrying out air raids against the insurgents in both countries.
