(JTA) – A man who threatened French Jews in the latest execution video released by the Islamic State was identified as a likely relative of Mohammed Merah, who killed four at a Jewish school in France.
A police source told the French daily Le Figaro that the man in the video is “most probably” Sabri Essid, who is believed to be Merah’s half-brother, the newspaper reported Wednesday — the third anniversary of Merah’s killing of three children and a rabbi in Toulouse.
In the video released Tuesday, the man identified as Essid is seen standing near an adolescent boy who shoots and apparently kills an Arab-Israeli identified as Muhammad Musallam, 19, who was presented as an Israeli spy by his captors.
The man identified as Essid says in French, “Oh Jews, indeed Allah has gifted us with killing your followers in your own stronghold in France.” He also says, “Jews, the army of Muhammad is coming.”
Video footage also shows the adolescent firing a handgun at Musallam’s head and the Israeli lying at the boy’s feet, apparently dead.
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