TRIPOLI
The Daesh militant group has released a video Sunday, which purports to show the execution of dozens of Ethiopian Christians in two separate areas of Libya.
The video appears to shows about 15 men wearing black suits purportedly being killed by gunshots to the head in the southern region of Fezzan. It also appears to show over 10 men wearing orange jumpsuits being beheaded on the coast of northern Barqa region.
"To the nation of the cross…Muslim blood that was shed on the hand of your religion is not cheap," an English-speaking executioner said in the video. "We swear to Allah, you will not have safety even in your dreams until you embrace Islam."
In Washington, U.S. National Security Council spokeswoman Bernadette Meehan strongly condemned “the brutal mass murder.”
“That these terrorists killed these men solely because of their faith lays bare the terrorists’ vicious, senseless brutality,” she said. “This atrocity once again underscores the urgent need for a political resolution to the conflict in Libya to empower a unified Libyan rejection of terrorist groups.”
Neither the authenticity of the video nor the nationality of the victims could be independently verified.
Daesh has been able to operate in Libya as two rival governments, backed by militias, have been incessantly battling each other.
