ISIS Egyptian Christians - The Islamic State militants have showcased their vile brutality again after they released an appalling video on Sunday. The said recording showed the ruthless beheading of 21 members of Egypt's Coptic Christian minority.
In the five-minute video released by ISIS' propaganda wing al-Hayat Media, the jihadists, who were all in black, were standing behind each of the captured Egyptian Christians. Before they were beheaded, CNN reported a masked English-speaking jihadi delivered what seemed to be a warning then all victims, who wore orange jumpsuits, were pushed to the ground and decapitated.
"All crusaders: safety for you will be only wishes, especially if you are fighting us all together," the jihadi said, as quoted by The Daily Mirror. "Therefore we will fight you all together. The sea you have hidden Sheikh Osama bin Laden's body in, we swear to Allah, we will mix it with your blood. We will conquer Rome, by Allah's permission."
The Egyptian Christians were kidnapped in the Libyan town of Sirte and were recently pictured in ISIS online propaganda magazine. The Daily Express added the terror group claimed the abductions were "revenge" and said Egyptian Christian women who converted to Islam had been tortured and killed.
"The people of the cross, followers of the hostile Egyptian church," the caption displayed during the video reads.
The gruesome ISIS video released Sunday night was titled, "A Message Signed with Blood to the Nation of the Cross." It was declared to be authentic by the Coptic Church and the government of Egypt. According to The Independent, the beheadings of the Egyptian Christians were made by the Libyan jihadists, who described themselves as "Tripoli Province of the ISIS."
Meanwhile, the ISIS-linked militants in Libya is now under attack after the brutal beheadings of the Egyptian Christians. Fox News reported Egypt had launched airstrikes against the terrorists in Libya on Monday. On a state radio, an Egyptian military spokesperson announced the offensive, which marked the first time Cairo has publicly acknowledged taking military action in Libya.
"[The airstrikes] are to avenge the bloodshed and to seek retribution from the killers," the statement of the Armed Forces General Command spokesman said. "Let those far and near know that Egyptians have a shield that protects them."
The government of Egypt had also declared a seven-day period of mourning and President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi said his government reserved the right to seek retaliation after the ISIS ruthlessly killed the Egyptian Christians.
The UN Security Council and the White House strongly denounced the latest ISIS beheading of the 21 Egyptian Christians. While The Daily Mail said Pope Francis also expressed his "profound sadness" over the killings, saying the victims had been killed for their faith.
"They were executed for nothing more than the fact that they were Christians," the pope said. "The blood of our Christian sisters and brothers is testimony that cries out [to us]. Be they Catholics, Orthodox, Copts, Lutherans, it does not matter. They are Christians, their blood is the same, their blood confesses [their faith in] Christ."
The latest ISIS video showing the beheading of the Egyptian Christians comes after the terrorists released a footage earlier this month showing the gruesome burning alive of Jordanian pilot Moath al-Kasasbeh.
