IS militants shoot, behead Ethiopian Christians in LibyaApril 20, 2015 - 09:46 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Islamic State (IS) militants have released a video purportedly showing the killing of up to 30 Ethiopian Christians in Libya. Footage shows one group of men being beheaded on a beach and another group being shot in the head in a desert. The victims are believed to be members of the Ethiopian Church seized in Libya by IS-linked militants. The video is similar to previous ones posted by IS, including the beheading of 21 Egyptian Christians in February. The latest tape is 29 minutes long and bears the official logo of the media arm of IS. Its authenticity has not been independently verified, the BBC says. Ethiopian Information Minister Redwan Hussein said the government was trying to verify the nationalities of those shown in the video. He condemned the killings, calling them a crime against humanity. The U.S. also voiced its outrage at the "brutal mass murder". "This atrocity once again underscores the urgent need for a political resolution to the conflict in Libya," said National Security Council spokeswoman Bernadette Meehan. In the video, a masked militant with a gun is seen making a statement threatening Christians if they do not convert to Islam or pay a special tax. The latest killings appear to have taken place in two regions of Libya - in the south and the east, the BBC says. IS, which controls large swathes of Iraq and Syria, has in recent months published a number of videos apparently showing the killing of its hostages, drawing condemnation around the world. Photo: Reuters Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Ucom launches network modernization efforts in few regions of Armenia In particular, on March 28, the legacy Mobile Switching Subsystem will be replaced with a new one. Baku: EU, U.S. share responsibility for Armenia’s “destabilizing actions” Azerbaijan has declared that the European Union and the United States will share responsibility for any destabilizing actions of Armenia Armenia to sing in 2nd semi-final of Eurovision The organizers of Eurovision 2024 have revealed the running order of the countries in the two semi-finals. Azerbaijan accuses Armenia of arming Karabakh after 2020 Azerbaijan has accused Armenia of “illegally transported ammunition” to Nagorno-Karabakh after the November 9 statement. |