A video released on Sunday by militants in Libya claiming loyalty to
the Islamic State terror group purports to show the mass beheading of
Coptic Christian hostages.
The video, which appeared on the Twitter feed of a website that supports Islamic State, appears to show militants dressed in blank marching captives to a beach.
Before the killings, one of the militants stood holding a knife in his hand and said: “Safety for you crusaders is something you can only wish for.”
The prisoners were then forced down to their knees, and then beheaded.
The militant speaker then pointed northward and said, "We will conquer Rome, by Allah's permission."
A still from the video appears to show Isis militants beheading 21 hostages.
The makers of the video identify themselves as the Tripoli Province of the Islamic State group — the Islamic militant group that controls about a third of Syria and Iraq. Militants in Libya claiming affiliation with the Islamic State terror group had been holding 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians hostage for weeks.
The Egyptian government declared a seven-day mourning period and President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi convened an emergency national security meeting to discuss a response. El-Sissi sent condolences to "the victims of terrorism," according to a statement released by the presidency.
Since the 2011 uprising in Egypt, thousands have traveled to neighboring Libya in search of jobs, despite advice from their government not to go to one of the most dangerous countries in the region.
The video, released late Sunday night (local time), depicted several men in orange jumpsuits being led along a beach, each accompanied by a masked militant. The men are made to kneel and one militant, dressed differently that the others, addresses the camera in North American-accented English.
"All crusaders: safety for you will be only wishes, especially if you are fighting us all together. Therefore we will fight you all together," he said. "The sea you have hidden Sheikh Osama Bin Laden's body in, we swear to Allah we will mix it with your blood."
The men are then laid face-down and simultaneously beheaded.
The militant speaker then pointed northward and said, "We will conquer Rome, by Allah's permission."
Militants in Libya had been holding 21 Egyptian Coptic
Christians hostage for weeks, threatening them with death. The makers of
the video identify themselves as the Tripoli Province of the Islamic
State group - the Islamic militant group that controls about a third of
Syria and Iraq.
The Associated Press could not immediately independently verify the video.
The Egyptian government declared a seven-day mourning period and President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi convened an emergency national security meeting to discuss a response.
El-Sissi sent condolences to "the victims of terrorism," according to a statement released by the presidency.
Qalini Sanyout, whose two nephews were among the hostages, answered the phone Sunday night amid the sound of wailing in the background.
"What can we say? Can someone tell us if this is true." he said repeatedly. "The whole village is in mourning. Men are covering their heads with dust and mud."
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The video, which appeared on the Twitter feed of a website that supports Islamic State, appears to show militants dressed in blank marching captives to a beach.
Before the killings, one of the militants stood holding a knife in his hand and said: “Safety for you crusaders is something you can only wish for.”
The prisoners were then forced down to their knees, and then beheaded.
The militant speaker then pointed northward and said, "We will conquer Rome, by Allah's permission."
The makers of the video identify themselves as the Tripoli Province of the Islamic State group — the Islamic militant group that controls about a third of Syria and Iraq. Militants in Libya claiming affiliation with the Islamic State terror group had been holding 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians hostage for weeks.
The Egyptian government declared a seven-day mourning period and President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi convened an emergency national security meeting to discuss a response. El-Sissi sent condolences to "the victims of terrorism," according to a statement released by the presidency.
Since the 2011 uprising in Egypt, thousands have traveled to neighboring Libya in search of jobs, despite advice from their government not to go to one of the most dangerous countries in the region.
The video, released late Sunday night (local time), depicted several men in orange jumpsuits being led along a beach, each accompanied by a masked militant. The men are made to kneel and one militant, dressed differently that the others, addresses the camera in North American-accented English.
"All crusaders: safety for you will be only wishes, especially if you are fighting us all together. Therefore we will fight you all together," he said. "The sea you have hidden Sheikh Osama Bin Laden's body in, we swear to Allah we will mix it with your blood."
The men are then laid face-down and simultaneously beheaded.
The militant speaker then pointed northward and said, "We will conquer Rome, by Allah's permission."
The Associated Press could not immediately independently verify the video.
The Egyptian government declared a seven-day mourning period and President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi convened an emergency national security meeting to discuss a response.
El-Sissi sent condolences to "the victims of terrorism," according to a statement released by the presidency.
Qalini Sanyout, whose two nephews were among the hostages, answered the phone Sunday night amid the sound of wailing in the background.
"What can we say? Can someone tell us if this is true." he said repeatedly. "The whole village is in mourning. Men are covering their heads with dust and mud."
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