ISIL claims to have killed 15 soldiers in Yemen: Monitoring group

A new video has reportedly emerged, showing militants belonging to the ISIL Takfiri terrorist group killing at least 15 Yemeni soldiers in what is claimed to be an area in Yemen.

According to the SITE Intelligence Group, a US website monitoring body, ISIL militants are seen in a video released on Thursday purportedly beheading four Yemeni soldiers and shooting dead 11 others.

The beheading of the soldiers was allegedly carried out by the Takfiris in the Yemeni province of Shabwa in mid-April, according to the SITE.

As many as 10 other soldiers are reportedly seen in the video being shot in the head and another one is seen being sprayed with bullets from behind.

A militant group that has pledged allegiance to the ISIL Takfiri group has claimed responsibility for the killings.

The ISIL Takfiri group, which is mainly operating in Syria and Iraq, has conducted many gruesome acts of execution and beheading in the two countries.

The development comes as Yemen is currently being targeted with airstrikes by Saudi Arabia. Clashes are also ongoing between members of popular committees – themselves among targets of Saudi aggression – and al-Qaeda militants. The popular committees, backed by Houthi Ansarullah fighters, are also fighting with forces loyal to fugitive former President Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi.

Saudi aggression

Riyadh launched its airstrikes against Yemen on March 26 without a United Nations mandate. Saudi Arabia aims to undermine the Houthis and restore power to Hadi, who is a staunch ally of Riyadh.

Saudi warplanes have repeatedly targeted residential areas across the country.

On April 21, Riyadh announced the end of the first phase of its unlawful military operations, which claimed the lives of nearly 1,000 people; but airstrikes have continued with Saudi bombers targeting different areas across the country in a new phase.

Official Yemeni reports say nearly 250 women and children have been killed so far.