Video Claims to Show Islamic State Beheading 21 Egyptian Christian 'Crusaders

UPDATE 4:04 p.m. EST: CAIRO (AP) — The makers of the video identify themselves as the Tripoli Province of the Islamic State group — the Islamic militant group that controls about a third of Syria and Iraq. Militants in Libya claiming affiliation with the Islamic State group had been holding 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians hostage for weeks.

The Associated Press could not immediately independently verify the video.

Original story below

Islamic State militants released a video Sunday purporting to show the beheading of 21 Egyptian Christian captives, Reuters reported.

The captives were seized in Libya and in the video, they are marched to a beach, forced to kneel and, it appears, beheaded.

The video was titled, "The people of the cross, followers of the hostile Egyptian church."

In the video, Reuters reported, one of the militants stands with a knife in his hand and says: "Safety for you crusaders is something you can only wish for."

This story is developing and will be updated.

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