ISIS rebels praying before battle.
ISIS rebels reportedly captured a military post near Raqqa, Syria.
Russia Today reported:
Jihadist group ISIS published photos of the beheadings of soldiers and officers at a Syrian government base near the eastern city of Raqqa after rebel forces reportedly breached a stronghold that had not been captured since the start of the conflict.
Conflicting reports have emerged regarding the outcome of the attack, which began when two Saudi suicide bombers simultaneously detonated their payload at different points of the Division 17 base perimeter on Thursday.
Hours of intense firefights followed. The jihadists – who already control much of the northeastern province – attacked from the ground, while government forces used helicopters to strike back while holding fortified positions.
“Our brothers stormed the building where dozens of soldiers were inside. We lost 13 martyrs in these battles,” a self-proclaimed ISIS fighter told The New York Times anonymously through Skype.
By Friday evening, the Sunni jihadists began to post video and photo evidence from inside the Division 17 living quarters, in which its fighters burned the portrait of Syrian President Bashar Assad while displaying alcohol and other forbidden items that they purportedly found in soldiers’ lockers. They also claimed that government troops had scattered to nearby villages. Those who were caught were summarily executed. ISIS posted a picture of beheaded officers on Twitter, their heads placed in the central town square.
Photo below the fold.
(Warning: Very Graphic)
