The Islamic State (IS) group released a video claiming to show the murders of some 20 Christians in northeast Nigeria’s Borno State. According to multiple news outlets, the video was posted to an IS-linked news outlet.
It showed armed and masked jihadists standing behind three lines of kneeling captives in civilian clothes. Barnabas Fund also reports two of the three jihadists shown on camera are dressed in black, and one man has what appears to be a large green scarf around his neck. According to multiple news outlets, the video was posted to an IS-linked news outlet.
It showed armed and masked jihadists standing behind three lines of kneeling captives in civilian clothes. Barnabas Fund also reports two of the three jihadists shown on camera are dressed in black, and one man has what appears to be a large green scarf around his neck. The date and location of the killings are unknown, but the video has been confirmed as authentic by the SITE Intelligence Group, an American non-governmental organization that tracks jihadi groups.
The time of the video and location of execution is however unknown. Nigerian authorities are also yet to speak on the video. Its authenticity, however, was confirmed by SITE Intelligence.
IS leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi died in February during a brazen nighttime airborne raid carried out by the United States special forces in northwestern Syria. The operation, in which Kurdish forces also took part, was conducted in the Idlib region where his better-known predecessor Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was killed in a similar raid in 2019.
Qurashi, who was also known as Amir Mohammed Said Abd al-Rahman al-Mawla, replaced Baghdadi after his death in a US raid in October 2019, and had a reputation for brutality.
The IS militants operate in the Lake Chad region under the name Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), along with another Islamist militant group, Boko Haram, have recently suffered huge losses as a result of attacks by a multi-national military force.
Boko Haram jihadist group in June 2021 confirmed the death of its chief Abubakar Shekau, who sources say died during infighting with the rival Islamic State-allied faction, according to a video message from its presumed new commander. Shekau’s death has since caused a huge division amongst the ranks of Boko Haram with some of its commanders pleading loyalty to ISWAP.
