IS militants behead 11 Christians in Nigeria on Christmas Day
By Nathan Morley
In the gruesome video, the so-called Islamic State said the murders were part of its recently declared campaign to avenge the deaths of its leader and spokesman in Syria.
The short video was released on December 26th, and timed to coincide with Christmas celebrations. It was filmed in an unidentified location.
Terror campaign
No details are yet known about the victims, who were all male, but IS say they were captured over recent weeks in Nigeria’s northeastern Borno State.
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the late leader of the so-called Islamic State, was killed in Syria in late October.
Nearly 2 months later, on December 22nd, IS declared a new militant campaign to avenge his death, and has since claimed a flurry of attacks in various countries.
Boko Haram
One faction of Nigeria’s Islamist Boko Haram terrorist organization now fights under the banner of the Islamic State of West Africa province, or ISWAP.
Last year, ISWAP killed two midwives it had previously taken hostage.
Meanwhile, the United Nations Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, has expressed his deepest condolences to the families of the victims.
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