(Libya) MNN — The terrorist group Islamic State (IS) has already kidnapped and killed 21 Egyptian and 28 Ethiopian Christians, and according to Open Doors Ministries, in June they struck again to capture 88 Eritrean Christians. However, they’re far from finished.
(Photo Courtesy Open Doors Ministries)
On Sunday July 19, the terrorist group released three photos on social media. These pictures were the passport photos of three Christian men kidnapped from Libya.
The men were from Egypt, Nigeria, and Ghana. A local resident claims they were taken in Noufliyah, an IS stronghold southeast of the city of Sirte.
Although the Egyptian government has warned citizens to stay away from Libya, many have been drawn by the better-paying jobs that the oil and gas industries provide.
So who are the men? The Egyptian Christian has been identified as Bikhet Nageh from the Sohag governorate of Upper Egypt. Sources say he was working in Barcaei in Eastern Libya. The man is 21 years old, and although security sources in Sohag claimed they have no information of the young man, a family friend said that negotiations to release Nageh in exchange for money are in progress.
(Photo Courtesy Open Doors Ministries)
The Nigerian man’s passport biodata page was posted, and he was identified as Adeola Ibrahim.
The last hostage is Sekyere, a Ghanaian man. A picture of Sekyere wearing an orange jumpsuit was posted to social media by IS.
IS claims to have a reason behind these kidnappings. According to their English-language magazine, Dabiq, the kidnappings are a response to the alleged torture of an unnamed Egyptian woman who converted to Islam and was supposedly beaten by her Christian church.
As IS continues its militant rampage, Christians in at-risk areas are persevering on. They’re also asking you to pray that God will keep them safe and show IS extremists the love of Christ
