Afghan, Pakistani ISIS Backers Behead Captured Pakistani Soldier

Killing Adds to Concern About ISIS Expanding in Region

A new video shows a group of Afghan and Pakistan militants who have pledged allegiance to ISIS beheading a captured Pakistani soldier, the first such video to come out of the region.

The video shows a large group of militants waving ISIS flags in a forest. Former Pakistani Taliban spokesman Shahidullah Shahid is seen in the video declaring support for ISIS caliph Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

The video will inevitably add to concern about ISIS’ expanding influence in the region, which had long been dominated by more region-specific Taliban leaders.

Shahid was one of several Pakistani Taliban figures who left the group in favor of ISIS. Young jihad-minded Afghans, who have traditionally also been Taliban recruits, have been a lot more interested in flocking to Syria and Iraq in recent months to join ISIS.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is senior editor of Antiwar.com.