Ansar Declares Sinai Province of IS in New Video

In their latest video since declaring allegiance to the Islamic State last Monday, Sinai-based militant group Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis have claimed responsibility for the October attack that killed 31 Egyptian soldiers in Sinai, showing footage of the attack and declaring Sinai the newest province of the Islamic State.

The 30-minute video was released on an unofficial Twitter account purported to be affiliated to the militant group. The video appears to show the attack unfold in two stages, beginning with a suicide car bombing, followed by a red truck driving into the base and a massive explosion. The video portrays scores of soldiers dead on the floor, as militants kill even more.

During the video, a man, speaking in Arabic, directly addresses a statement to President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, saying, "We shall be the swords that cut off your heads." He also warns of further attacks in the future.

The video also cuts to footage of men being tortured by Egyptian soldiers, which had been widely shared on social media several days ago.

Just hours after this video was released, ISIS released yet another video of their latest killing, featuring US aid worker Peter Kassig, the latest foreign hostage who fell victim to the militant organisation's brutal beheadings. Despite having converted to Islam previously, Kassig's severed head is held by a man clad entirely in black, who has come to be popularly referred to as "Jihadi John".

Kassig had reportedly been deployed to Iraq previously in 2007, before going back as an aid worker.

The Islamic State video also shows a mass beheading of Syrian soldiers.