WASHINGTON — The Islamist extremist group Boko Haram posted a graphic video online Monday night showing the apparent beheading of two men the group said were spies.
CNN reports that the six-minute video shows two men with their arms tied behind their backs, facing the camera on their knees, with another man reaching toward one of them with a knife.
The video then shows what appears to be the severed heads of the two men.
The group is already blamed for numerous horrific attacks in West Africa, including decapitations, but this is the first time they’ve posted such a video online; previous videos have been distributed directly to journalists, CNN says.
If it sounds like Boko Haram is imitating the techniques of ISIS, Jacob Zenn, an expert on the group, told CNN that it is: “It’s clear Boko Haram is leaning toward ISIS in terms of doctrine, ideology and an emphasis on holding territory after operations.”
