ISIS beheads 21 Egyptian Christians.

The Islamic State (IS) yesterday released a video that appears to show the mass beheading of 21 Egyptian Christians on a beach identified as being near the Libyan capital.

Egyptian hostages kneel on the beach before being beheaded by ISIS militants. Photo: Aljazeera

According to the New York Times, the video opens with slow-motion footage of Egyptian Coptic Christian hostages walking in single file along a beach. All the hostages are wearing orange jumpsuits. Each is led by an executioner dressed in black, wielding a knife. The only sound is the waves. They are forced to kneel and, one by one, are beheaded.

The video appeared yesterday on a website supporting IS. According to Aljazeera, the clip claimed the execution was directly aimed at the "hostile Egyptian Church." An English-speaking militant stated that the beheading was in revenge for "Muslim women executed by Coptic Cross expeditionary forces in Egypt." IS said the execution took place near the Libyan capital, Tripoli.

Both the Egyptian government and the Coptic Christian Church in Egypt have claimed the video is authentic. The MENA news agency quoted a spokesperson for the Coptic Christian Church in Egypt confirming that the 21 members of their faith who were captured by IS have died.

The Egyptian government declared seven days of mourning, and President Fattah al-Sisi addressed the nation late last night, according to AP. Egypt also banned its citizens from traveling to Libya.

"These despicable acts will not erode our resolve," Sisi said. "Egypt and the world are engaged in a fierce battle against extremist groups with radical ideologies and shared goals."

This is the first time ISIS has released an official video showing killings outside the territories they control in Syria and Iraq.

At least 20 Egyptian workers were abducted from the coastal town of Sirte in eastern Libya earlier this year. ISIS militants held them captive for weeks, threatening to kill them. The families of the abducted workers had previously urged Cairo to help rescue them. In the southern Egyptian province of Minya, relatives screamed and fainted upon hearing news of their loved ones' deaths.

Despite the dangers, thousands of Egyptians have traveled to neighboring Libya to find work since the uprising in their homeland in 2011.

According to VNE