IS beheads two women in Syria
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 30 June 2015 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, IS beheads two women in Syria, 30 June 2015, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/55b5f439e.html [accessed 2 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
June 30, 2015
The Islamic State (IS) extremist group has beheaded two women in Syria, the first time it has decapitated female civilians, a monitoring group said.
The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said on June 30 that the women – and their husbands – were accused of "witchcraft and sorcery."
The observatory said the executions took place separately on June 28 and June 29 in the eastern Deir al-Zor province.
In both cases, the women were executed with their husbands, SOHR said.
The IS group has become infamous for gruesome executions and is reported to have stoned women to death on allegations of adultery.
But the observatory, which tracks the conflict using sources on the ground, said this was the first time it was aware of the IS group beheading women.
Meanwhile, Islamic State group has claimed an attack on two Huthi rebel leaders in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, on June 29 that medics said killed at least 28 people, including eight women.
The car bomb attack targeted the brothers Faycal and Hamid Jayache during a gathering to mourn the death of a family member, a security source said.
Huthi rebels closed down the surrounding area in the center of the city after the attack, only allowing through emergency services to help evacuate the victims, witnesses said.
In a statement posted online, the Islamic State said it had organized the attack on what it called a "Shi'ite nest" in the Yemeni capital.
The extremist Sunni group considers Shi'a as heretics and has frequently targeted them in attacks.
The last of these, a suicide bombing by a Saudi national June 26 in a Shi'ite mosque in Kuwait, killed 26 people and wounded 227 others.
Based on reporting by AFP and Reuters
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
