Islamist conflict with Libyan National Army ISIL and anti-ISIL operations Factional fighting LNA vs GNA Terror attacks Foreign involvement Peace Process On 12th February 2015, the Islamic State (IS) released a report in their online magazine Dabiq showing photos of 21 Egyptian Christian construction workers that they had kidnapped in the city of Sirte, Libya, and who they reported had been killed.

[9] The victims, all but one members of the Coptic Orthodox Church, were formally declared saints and martyrs in February of 2015 by Pope Tawadros II of Alexandria.

In 2023, Pope Francis announced that the 21 Coptic men murdered by IS would also be commemorated by the Catholic Church and listed within the Roman Martyrology in what was described as a major ecumenical decision.

On 15th of February 2015, a five-minute video was published by Al-Hayat, an IS multi-language media wing, showing the beheading of the captives on a beach along the southern Mediterranean coast.

The leader declared in North American English: All praises due to Allah, the strong and mighty, and may blessings and peace be upon the one sent by the sword, as a mercy to all the worlds [Muhammad].

'They supplicate what they worship and die upon their paganism'),[11][12] suggesting that they had been given a chance to convert to Islam but refused it: For this reason, the Coptic Church proclaimed them martyrs.

After beheading the captives (3'40" to 4'15" of the video), the acapella chant continued to play and a message appears on the screen: (Arabic: هذه الدماء النجسة بعض ما ينتظركم، ثأرا ل (كاميليا) وأخواتها, lit.

[8] As in other IS videos, the captives wore orange jumpsuits, intended as a reference to the attire of prisoners in the Guantanamo Bay detention camp.

Later, when one of the perpetrators of the operation was arrested, he admitted in the investigation that the slaughter had taken place at the beach opposite Al Mahary Hotel in Sirte.

[14][15][16][17][18] The president of Egypt Abdel Fattah el-Sisi announced a seven-day period of national mourning and called for an urgent meeting with the country's top security body.

[20] The killings were also addressed particularly by the United Nations Security Council, French President François Hollande and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry.

At an ecumenical meeting with the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, Pope Francis stated "They only said 'Jesus help me ...' The blood of our Christian brothers is testimony that cries out.

[28] An independent short film, The 21, has been produced by a team of more than 70 artists from 24+ countries to honor the 21 martyrs and will debut for a global audience on February 15th, 2025 - the 10th anniversary of their death.

[29] The 21, the Power of Faith: the Village of Martyrs,[30] a French documentary by Samuel Armnius was broadcast on KTO and screened at the Vatican Film Library on 15 February 2024.

I am pleased to announce today that, with Your Holiness' consent, these 21 martyrs will be included in the Roman Martyrology as a sign of the spiritual communion uniting our two Churches.

"[32] During the audience, Tawadros II gave Francis relics with a small statue of the 21 martyrs and an egg-shaped Coptic icon of the Holy Family.

"[33] On 15 February 2024, an ecumenical prayer service[34] was held at the Choir Chapel of Saint Peter's Basilica to celebrate the first commemoration of the 21 Coptic Martyrs of Libya in the Catholic Church.

The Egyptian delegation handed Tantoush a letter from Anba Pavnotios requesting that the body of Ayariga be brought to Egypt "to be joined with his Coptic brothers in their final resting place".