The White House on Sunday night strongly condemned the apparent mass murder of Ethiopian Christians by Islamic State terrorists, saying the militants clearly targeted the victims “because of their faith.”
In the video, Islamic State militants are shown holding two groups of captives, identified as Christians, inside Libya. The footage then shows some of the captives being shot dead while others are beheaded.
U.S. and Ethiopian government officials still are working to verify the authenticity of the video.
“We express our condolences to the families of the victims and our support to the Ethiopian government and people as they grieve for their fellow citizens,” said Bernadette Meehan, spokeswoman for the White House National Security Council. “That these terrorists killed these men solely because of their faith lays bare the terrorists’ vicious, senseless brutality. 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.”
The video largely is similar to February footage showing the beheading of more than 20 Egyptian Christians. The Islamic State also has released video showing the murders of several Westerners, including four Americans.
• Ben Wolfgang can be reached at bwolfgang@washingtontimes.com.
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