ISWAP Executes Christian Hostages on Christmas Day, Releases Video

Malik Yahya/

The Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) has released another video where it executed 11 of its captives, who were Christians, on Christmas Day.

The latest execution by the terrorist group came less than two weeks after it released the video of the execution of four persons working with Action Against Hunger.

The victims were seen in the video pleading with President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration to help negotiate their release.

While one captive was shot dead, the other 10 were pushed to the ground and beheaded.

The 56-second footage, which was filmed in an unidentified outdoor area, was produced by the Islamic State’s (IS) “news agency” Amaq.

It was released yesterday and analysts say it was clearly timed to coincide with Christmas celebrations, according to a report by BBC.

No details were given about the victims, who were all male, but the IS said they were “captured in the past weeks” in Borno State.

Explaining the reasons for the execution, the group said, “We killed them as revenge for the killings of our leaders including Abubakar al-Baghdadi and Abul-Hasan Al-Muhajir in Iraq and Syria.”

Salkida.com also reported that the decision to execute the captives was rather swift, abrupt and shocking, adding that ISWAP had reportedly opened a window of negotiation ostensibly to exchange the freedom of the captives with those of its members in government custody but the Nigerian Government failed to take the offer.

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