Islamic State release video of Corinthia suicide bombers

A video allegedly released by Islamic State's "Tripoli province" claims to show the suicide bombers who launched an attack on the Corinthia Tripoli Hotel, discussing their motivation.

MaltaToday has not obtained a translation of the video's content, which is in Arabic.

The Islamic State had already claimed responsibility for the attack on the Maltese-owned Corinthia Tripoli hotel, in its official Dabiq magazine

The slick magazine stated that soldiers of the Islamic State carried out multiple operations “that shattered any hope or confidence the crusaders could have in their murtadd [apostate] puppets maintaining control in the face of the caliphate’s expansion.”

The Corinthia hotel was attacked by suicide bombers who detonated a car bomb outside the hotel, killing a security guard, then entered the hotel lobby killing both guests and staff, and finally detonating a bomb atop the 21st floor of the hotel before Tripoli militias could arrest them.

The Islamic State claimed that Tripoli had been claimed as part of the caliphate – naming it the Wilāyat Tarābulus – and that the Corinthia assault was carried out in revenge for the death of Abu Anas al Libi, an Al Qaeda operative who died in custody in the United States, where he was facing charges for the bombs that killed hundreds in US embassies in Africa.

The magazine reiterated claims already made in mainstream media that the Corinthia housed Tripoli’s pretender to the Libyan premiership, Omar al Hassi, and other foreign diplomats and the “crusaders support mission” UNSMIL, the United Nations’ presence in the North African country.

The IS said that the two men, Abu Ibrahim at Tunisi and Abu Sulayman as-Sudani – respectively Tunisian and Sudanese nationals – “stormed the hotel and lay waste to a number of apostates and crusaders inside.”