On Sunday, ISIS released a video that reportedly depicted the beheading of 21 Christian Egyptian men by masked militants. The video of the kidnapped men—which was believed to have been filmed in Libya—was titled “A Message signed with blood to the nation of the cross.” The global security firm Flashpoint told NBC News, “This undeniably means that the group now views Christian populations as not only targets but also part of the bigger ‘Crusader plot,’ not separate from the US-led coalition or aggressors.” The militants made references to wanting to “conquer Rome,” underscoring the religious motivations of the executions.
They referred to their victims as “people of the cross, followers of the hostile Egyptian church,” and the clip included a caption addressing the video as a “message signed with blood to the nation of the cross.” Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi issued a statement wishing condolences to the families of the victims, calling for a 7-day period of mourning and promising to help evacuate Egyptian citizens from Libya. Over night, the Egyptian military launched a series of airstrikes against ISIS targets in Libya. The country’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement explaining, “Leaving the situation as it is in Libya without a firm intervention to curtail these terrorist organizations would be a threat to international peace and security” …
