Islamic State releases video showing 9 ‘Paris attackers’
The Islamic State group released a video Sunday purporting to show nine jihadists behind the November Paris attacks that killed 130 people, in which they threaten “coalition” countries including Britain
The Islamic State group released a video Sunday purporting to show nine jihadists behind the November Paris attacks that killed 130 people, in which they threaten “coalition” countries including Britain.
The video posted on jihadist websites is entitled “Kill wherever you find them”, and shows four Belgians, three French citizens and two Iraqis said to be responsible for the attacks.
All nine militants seen in the video died in the Paris attacks or their aftermath. Seven of the attackers - four from Belgium and three from France - spoke fluent French. The two others - identified by their noms de guerre as Iraqis - spoke in Arabic.
In it the jihadists, speaking in French and in Arabic, say their “message is addressed to all the countries taking part in the (US-led) coalition” that has been fighting IS in Syria and Iraq since September 2014.
The video also shows a picture of British Prime Minister David Cameron accompanied by the words in English: “Whoever stands in the ranks of kufr (unbelievers) will be a target for our swords.”
The video, produced by IS’s Al-Hayat Media Centre, describes the nine jihadists as “lions” who “brought France to its knees”.
The footage shows images of the coordinated Paris attacks as well as security operations by French special forces during the onslaught.
It also depicts the nine jihadists carrying out atrocities, including beheading and shooting people described as hostages.
13 attacks targeted a packed concert hall, a restaurant and cafe, and a soccer match at the national stadium.
French Foreign Ministry spokesman Romain Nadal said the government is studying the video but would not comment on its contents. France’s Interior Ministry and the Paris prosecutor’s office had no immediate comment.
The video was filmed before the men sneaked back into Europe and contains no footage shot by the attackers during the days of terror that began Nov. 13 and ended only on Nov. 18 with the death of Abdelhamid Abbaoud, who was believed to be the leader of the attacks.
Instead, it was assembled from material shot before the men left for Paris, news video and amateur video. The video did not specify where the nine men were filmed, but it was believed to have been in IS-controlled territory in Syria. Abbaoud is seen simply speaking in a room
One militant, Brahim Abdeslam, is seen at a makeshift shooting range. Abdeslam, whose brother Salah fled Paris that night and remains at large, blew himself up at a Paris cafe where he was the only victim. Salah Abdeslam is not seen in the video.
According to the anti-islamic State activist group Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently, Brahim Abdeslam and two other attackers were trained in Raqqa, the extremist group’s stronghold and the capital of its self-proclaimed caliphate.
In the video, as in other Islamic State propaganda trying to drive a wedge between European Muslims and their governments, the men say it is a religious duty to join them. They threaten more attacks in Europe, and the footage closes with one of the militants holding a severed head and footage of Cameron giving a speech - with a text in English warning that whoever stands with the unbelievers “will be a target for our swords.”