NYT reporter and ISIS expert Rukmini Callimachi has an update on the horrific story we told you about yesterday on the two Scandinavian hikers who were murdered by ISIS terrorists in Morocco earlier this month.
First up, some background ICYMI our post yesterday…
Government officials have confirmed the authenticity of a video getting shared in the Middle East that shows one of the terrorists beheading one of the women:
1. On the topic of the "defeat" of ISIS: Today, the Norwegian government confirmed the authenticity of a brutal execution video showing a man decapitating a Scandinavian tourist in Morocco. The men who killed the tourists pledged allegiance to ISIS: https://t.co/OfvExLAzkf
— Rukmini Callimachi (@rcallimachi) December 21, 2018
2. The bodies of the tourists – 24-year-old Louisa Jespersen of Denmark & 28-year-old Maren Ueland of Norway – were found at the head of a trail in Morocco's Atlas Mountains. I watched the horrific video and it's hard to even find words to describe the brutality it contained. pic.twitter.com/9VyGccBL1V
— Rukmini Callimachi (@rcallimachi) December 21, 2018
The video is really, really bad:
3. In the video, a man is standing above one of the women, pinning her down with his foot placed on her face. He uses a kitchen knife to decapitate her. In the audio, as translated by my colleague @AidaAlami, the killer is heard talking about how this is revenge for Hajin.
— Rukmini Callimachi (@rcallimachi) December 21, 2018
Now for the update…
In the video, one of the terrorists is heard saying the attack was “revenge for Hajin”:
3. In the video, a man is standing above one of the women, pinning her down with his foot placed on her face. He uses a kitchen knife to decapitate her. In the audio, as translated by my colleague @AidaAlami, the killer is heard talking about how this is revenge for Hajin.
— Rukmini Callimachi (@rcallimachi) December 21, 2018
Hajin is a town in Syria that was just liberated by Kurdish and U.S. forces:
4. If you've never heard of Hajin, pls join the line. Until a few days ago, the small town in northern Syria was under ISIS control. It's the last place our Kurdish allies backed by US forces, were fighting ISIS before the White House's abrupt decision to pull troops out of Syria pic.twitter.com/ont6uukn0v
— Rukmini Callimachi (@rcallimachi) December 21, 2018
Also, 9 more people were arrested in connection with the attack which brings the total to 13:
5. In Morocco, another 9 suspects believed to be tied to the killings have been arrested. Four others were arrested earlier this week, men that the Moroccan prosecutor said had recorded an ISIS pledge video a week before the murder. If all are guilty, it's a cell of 13 people: pic.twitter.com/0rxwfg49r5
— Rukmini Callimachi (@rcallimachi) December 21, 2018
Sources are telling Callimaci that “at a minimum” the attack was “inspired” by ISIS:
6. ISIS has not claimed the murder but the group typically doesn't claim attacks when their followers are in custody. So we may never have an official claim. At a minimum, the European officials I am speaking to consider this an attack inspired by the group.
— Rukmini Callimachi (@rcallimachi) December 21, 2018
And note how will reports of ISIS’ demise around the world, the number of places where Westerners can travel safely continues to shrink:
7. As someone who spent 7 years posted in West Africa, I find it disturbing to see how every year, the map of where Westerners can safely venture continues to shrink as a result of groups like ISIS & al-Qaeda. Until this incident, the gorgeous Atlas Mountains were considered safe pic.twitter.com/jgDBulz1H4
— Rukmini Callimachi (@rcallimachi) December 21, 2018
And she notes that ISIS was almost defeated before:
Why don’t we let history guide us: The last time ISIS was declared defeated was in 2010 when they were down to 700 fighters. If 700 were able to come roaring back and take 1/2 of Syria and 1/3 of Iraq, don’t you think you’re being a bit glib by referring to 30,000 as “remnants.”
— Rukmini Callimachi (@rcallimachi) December 21, 2018
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Related:
'Pure evil': Murder and sexual assault of Scandinavian hikers in Morocco linked to ISIS terrorists https://t.co/46bFeREkrK
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) December 20, 2018
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