Islamic State chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has ordered its fighters not to release videos showing executions of group's prisoners, media reports said on Saturday.
Abu Bakr Baghdadi is said to have sent a letter to Islamic State group's all media offices and ordered militants that they were no longer allowed to include violent, graphic footage in their videos, Metro reported.
Baghdadi's decree, made public by British-based Al-Quds Al-Arabi daily, is meant "to be considerate of Muslims and children's feelings who may find these scenes grotesque," according to Middle East Eye.
However, Baghdadi's new policy has created a divide in ISIS ranks. "Some of IS militants supported Baghdadi's decision, taking into consideration criticism of the public that describes scenes of beheadings as barbaric. While other militants rejected the decision saying that such scenes are meant to intimidate their enemies, represented by western powers, and not the common folk," ARA News reported.
ISIS's newest video of a child jihadist beheading a Syrian army officer doesn't appear to follow Baghdadi's no-execution video policy, according to IANS. It was apparently first time the Islamic State group filmed a beheading by a child soldier.
Syrian politician and lawyer Ferid Hisso told ARA News that banning the release of such videos "won't eliminate the IS-led horrors that have been seen by the people around the world over the past couple of years."
"Instead of banning the release of such videos, Baghdadi should have rather banned the crimes behind the scenes. But he has already justified the barbarism of his followers, and his decision makes no sense," Hisso added.
The jihadist group's graphic execution videos first made headlines with the advent of so-called "Jihadi John," a militant seen executing prisoners on several videos released since 2014, according to Haaretz.
