ISIS, the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, have murdered at least 50 captured soldiers in the Syrian province of Raqa. The soldiers from the 417 Division of the Syrian Army were ambushed by an ISIS militant group before being brutally murdered. Further adding to the group’s violent reputation, video posted by ISIS shows the heads of the dead soldiers mounted on poles and stakes, on display throughout the city. ISIS claims an even higher death toll — boasting of killing at least 75 Syrian soldiers.
“At least 50 soldiers were ambushed,” said Human Rights Observer Rami Abdel Rahman. “Some of them were killed in fighting, but most of them were beheaded.”
The gruesome images are meant as a way for the jihadi group to strike fear into its enemies, as well as a sort of shock campaign to gain international attention. They have proven to be adept at using social media for their cause, posting violent executions and threats on Twitter, YouTube and other online forums. More vicious than other jihadi groups, ISIS has claimed they will not stop their reign of terror until the Western presence in the region is completely removed and an Islamic Caliph established. The group has been on a fast-paced march throughout large swaths of Syria and Iraq, at times easily defeating national military units.
It’s always sad to hear of more upheaval coming out of the Middle East, but it’s especially disturbing to see such callous brutality. Peace seems like an impossibility when such evil is at hand, but it is always worth hoping for.
