EGYPT – Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has instructed authorities to assist with the evacuation of Egyptians from neighboring Libya after the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group claimed it had kidnapped 21 Coptic Christians there, Al Arabiya reports.
IS published photos of the Egyptian Coptics—wearing orange jumpsuits, handcuffed, and blindfolded—in the latest issue of its online English outlet Dabiq. The terrorist group called the 21 hostages “Coptic crusaders” and alleged that the Coptic Orthodox Church in Egypt had tortured and killed Egyptian Christians who converted to Islam.
There are conflicting reports about whether IS killed the Egyptian Christians. Some Libyan jihadists tweeted that they had obtained “revenge” against the Christians.  (read more)

Islamic State Claims To Have Abducted 21 Coptic Egyptians In Libya – Egypt’s Foreign Ministry is investigating the authenticity of pictures purportedly showing the Egyptian abductees in Libya, the Ministry Spokesman Badr Abdel Atty said on Thursday.
Twenty-one Coptic Egyptians were abducted in the Libyan city of Sirte on two separate occasions, only one week apart. Seven were kidnapped on December 31, 2014, while the remaining 14 were captured on January 3.
Pictures allegedly belonging to the abductees went viral on social media websites after they were published by a magazine affiliated with the Islamic State fighters. Those featured in the pictures were clad in orange, a colour usually signalling the captives’ death sentence by the group.
Late on Thursday, Egypt commenced emergency procedures to evacuate all Egyptian nationals wishing to return from Libya, reported state television.
Islamic State fighters have gained control of large areas of Iraq and Syria over the past summer.
Several Egyptians had been caught up in the militant fighting gripping Libya, which has recently intensified in measures unprecedented since the overthrow of late Libyan President Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.
Many Egyptians have been killed, while others found themselves the victims of kidnapping. (read more)