Noble
© © AP Photo/ Lai Seng SinInterpol Secretary General Ronald Noble
International police organization Interpol secretary general Ronald Noble decisively condemned the murder of US journalist James Foley in a statement released Thursday, calling for a global response to the threat posed by the Islamic State (IS).

"The barbaric murder of James Foley by the Islamic State group underlines the depths of its depravity as it wages its campaign of terror across Syria and Iraq," Noble said, also calling for "a multilateral response against the terror threat."

"This public slaughter of an innocent man has appalled citizens worldwide, and it highlights the ongoing plight of other innocent people across the region at the hands of bloodthirsty terrorists who know neither compassion nor mercy," the Interpol chief added.

The murder of the journalist was also denounced by the United Nations, with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon saying that he "condemns in the strongest terms the horrific murder of journalist James Foley."

A video that documented the beheading of Foley by an IS militant was released earlier this week. IS said Foley's execution was in response to US airstrikes that hampered IS' advance in Iraq.

James Foley, 40, was abducted on November 22, 2012, in Syria. Prior to that, he had been kidnapped and released in Libya.

Islamic State is a radical Sunni group that had been fighting in Syria before launching an offensive in Iraq in June. Later that month, the militants announced the establishment of an Islamic caliphate on the territories that had fallen under its control.