State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki would not say Tuesday how many Americans are currently held by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL or ISIS).
"We don’t get into specific numbers for the safety and security of individuals," Psaki told reporters during the department's daily briefing.
She would only confirm that there are "a few": "We’ve said a few. That continues to be accurate."
ISIL has killed at least one American journalist, James Foley, and video reporting to show the execution of another, Steven Sotloff, surfaced last week. According to The New York Times, two humanitarian aid workers are also being held.