An Islamic State militant stands next to another man who identifies himself as 30-year-old Tomislav Salopek
An online image circulated yesterday purported to show the beheading of a Croatian hostage held by the Islamic State group’s Egyptian affiliate, the first such killing of a foreign captive in Egypt since the extremists set up a branch here.
The killing of the 30-year-old oil and gas sector surveyor likely will rattle companies with expatriate workers in Egypt and cast a cloud over President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi’s attempts to boost international investment to revive the economy, battered by years of turmoil.
The still image, shared by Islamic State sympathizers on social media, showed the apparent body of Tomislav Salopek, a married, father of two, wearing a beige jumpsuit looking like the one he had worn in a previous video. A black flag used by the Islamic State group and a knife were planted in the sand next to him.
The photo carried a caption in Arabic that said Salopek was killed “for his country’s participation in the war against the Islamic State,” and after a deadline had passed for the Egyptian government to meet their demands.
The picture also contained an inset of two Egyptian newspaper reports, with one headline declaring Croatia’s support of Egypt in its war against terrorism and extremism and another saying Croatia reiterated its support for the Kurdistan region. Croatian troops also were part of the coalition forces in Iraq and they still serve in the NATO-led force in Afghanistan.
Egyptian Foreign Ministry officials were not immediately available for comment. An official at the Croatian Embassy in Cairo who refused to give his name said the embassy cannot comment on the incident. The Croatian Foreign Ministry declined to immediately comment.
The Associated Press could not independently verify the image. However, it bore markings consistent the filmed hostage demand the group made last week.
Salopek, a surveyor working with France’s CGG Ardiseis, was abducted in western Cairo last month. Brian Rohan, Cairo, AP
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