The Islamic State group in Libya released a video on Sunday purportedly showing the beheading of 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians, prompting Egypt’s president to threaten a “suitable” punishment for the killings.
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President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said his country reserved the right to “punish these murderers” as he called a meeting of security chiefs and declared seven days of mourning after the video was distributed by jihadists on social media.
The footage shows 21 handcuffed hostages wearing orange jumpsuits being beheaded by their black-suited captors on a beach the group said was in the Libyan province of Tripoli.
The developing story has taken the internet by storm Sunday night, with images of the video–and the video itself–making runs across social networks..
The killings raise the possibility that the Islamic militant group — which controls about a third of Syria and Iraq in a self-declared caliphate — has established a direct affiliate less than 500 miles (800 kilometers) from the southern tip of Italy. One of the militants in the video makes direct reference to that possibility, saying the group now plans to “conquer Rome.”
NIGHT TERROR NEWS has published articles relating to these vague threats previously, one here called ‘shadows and dangers‘ and another about the ‘paranoid prophecies of the Pope‘ .. each story suggested a danger lurking with the rise of ISIS and radical Islam–and those dangers pointed at the Vatican and Rome..
And now, tonight, the AP is pointing out the obvious and most troubling: ISIS is only 500 miles from Italy..