The Islamic State has used a people-smugglers’ caravan in Libya to kidnap 88 Eritrean Christians.
A U.S. defense official confirmed the kidnapping to a Fox News official after it was originally reported in a Libyan newspaper.
Meron Estafanos, the co-founder of the Stockholm-based International Commission on Eritrean Refugees, told the Libya Herald on Monday that roughly 12 Muslims and Egyptians were separated from the Christians, Fox reported. Three men are said to have escaped by jumping off the back of their kidnappers’ truck.
The Sunni radical terror group released a propaganda video in February showing the beheading of 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians. Another video followed in April, which showed dozens of Ethiopian Christians being executed.
“Ever since the kidnapping by ISIS in Libya last February. Many are taking different routes. Some go from Khartoum [Sudan] to Turkey, then Greece,” Ms. Estafanos said, Fox reported. “Others are now leaving via Khartoum to Cairo, then Alexandria and from there by boat to Italy. I think we will see an increase towards Turkey and Cairo instead of Libya”.
• Douglas Ernst can be reached at dernst@washingtontimes.com.
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