Family of Perth man held by ISIS appeal to his captors

The family of a Perth man being held by ISIS have appealed for his captors to make contact with them.

44-year old David Haines was kidnapped by the terrorist group last year while organizing humanitarian aid in war-torn Syria.

ISIS recently threatened to kill him in response to US air stikes in Iraq.

The group, which operates in both Syria and Iraq, have beheaded two US journalists in recent weeks.

The family statement, which was released by the UK Foreign Office and addressed the militants directly, said: “We are the family of David Haines.

“We have sent messages to you to which we have not received a reply. We are asking those holding David to make contact with us.”

The family also said that ISIS had not replied to previous messages.

Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond has said the UK government was doing everything it could to protect Mr Haines.

The father-of-two was taken hostage in the village of Atmeh, in the Idlib province of Syria, in March 2013.

He had been helping French agency Acted deliver humanitarian aid, having previously helped local people in Libya and South Sudan.