The Islamic terrorist group ISIS is carrying out beheadings of Christians and setting fire to churches and homes in regions of central and southern Africa, with Mozambique being one of the countries most affected by these extremely violent attacks, according to recent reports from international observers.
The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), a nonprofit organization based in Washington D.C. specializing in terrorism research, warned about what it describes as a "silent genocide" targeting Christian communities.
According to MEMRI, the group Islamic State Mozambique Province (ISMP) recently released 20 images proudly displaying four attacks carried out against Christian villages located in the Chiure district, in Cabo Delgado province, in the north of the country.
Autos prendidos fuego.
MEMRI indicated that the images show ISIS terrorists storming villages, as well as setting fire to a church and several homes. The photographs also include, according to the institute's analysis, the beheading of a member of what the jihadists call "infidel militias" and of two Christian civilians.
Islamic extremist groups celebrated the killings with complete abandon. The photos also show the bodies of several members of those so-called "infidel militias."
"What we see today in Africa is a kind of silent genocide or a silent, brutal, and savage war that takes place in the shadows and is all too often ignored by the international community," warned Alberto Miguel Fernández, MEMRI's vice president, in statements to the media.
El grupo terrorista islámico ISIS.
Fernández, a former United States diplomat, emphasized that the fact that jihadist groups are able to control not just one or two regions, but large areas or even entire countries of the African continent represents a serious threat, not only to United States security, but also to local populations, whether Christian, Muslim, or of any other faith.
Meanwhile, the Islamic State Central Africa Province (ISCAP) recently released a series of photographs documenting an attack carried out last July 27 against the Christian community of Komanda, in Ituri province, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
In that incursion, terrorists linked to Islamic State opened fire on a Catholic church and caused fires in homes, businesses, vehicles, and personal property. MEMRI reported that at least 45 people were killed. The published images show buildings burning and the lifeless bodies of murdered Christians. Fernández explained that the purpose of these extremist groups is to "eliminate Christian communities," forcing them to abandon their shelters.
