Parents of Indiana man threatened by ISIS pleading with their son's captors to free him

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The parents of an Indiana man threatened with beheading by the Islamic State group are pleading with their son's captors to free him.

Ed and Paula Kassig released their video message Saturday, October 4th -- a day after a video from the Islamic State group threatened to behead 26-year-old Peter Kassig.

Ed Kassig says his son was taken captive on Oct. 1, 2013, in Syria, where he was providing aid for refugees fleeing the country's civil war through an organization he founded.

He says the former Army Ranger grew up in an Indianapolis family with a long history of humanitarian work.

Paula Kassig holds a photo of her son in the video and says, "We implore those who are holding you to show mercy and use their power to let you go."