US service to mourn journalist slain by militants
ROCHESTER, New Hampshire — The American journalist beheaded by Islamic State militants, James Foley, is being remembered in a Catholic ceremony at his hometown church.
Sunday’s Mass of Remembrance in Rochester, New Hampshire, comes five days after the extremists posted a Web video of Foley’s killing and billed it as retaliation for American air strikes against Islamic State targets in northern Iraq.
The 40-year-old Foley, a freelance photojournalist, was kidnapped in Syria in November 2012. His captors reportedly demanded a 100 million euro ($133 million) ransom for his release.
US President Barack Obama on Wednesday called Foley a hero for telling the stories of oppressed people in war-torn Syria and Libya. American special forces launched a secret Syrian raid this summer to rescue Foley and other hostages, but failed to pinpoint their location.
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