Egyptian Church confirms killing of 21 Christians in Libya

The Egyptian Orthodox Church confirmed late on Sunday the killing of 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians kidnapped by Islamic State (IS) militant group in Libya, state-run MENA news agency reported.

"We watched the painful video. We can confirm the slain were our kidnapped sons in Libya," spokesman for the Coptic Orthodox Church in Egypt, Polis Halim, was quoted by MENA as saying.

The spokesman said the Church is in contact with a number of government institutions to follow up the situation.

Meanwhile, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, has called for an urgent meeting of the National Defense Council.

He also declared a seven-day period of mourning over the death of the victims.

On Sunday, the IS militant group published a video purportedly showing the beheading of 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians abducted in Libya.

The victims, dressed in orange, were lined up near the seashore and forced to knee on the ground.

The Egyptians were abducted in Libya's central city of Sirte on two separate occasions in December and January, only one week apart.

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