Islamic State militants have executed four footballers in Syria after its religious leaders said supporting football was anti-Islamic.
The victims, who played for popular team Al-Shabab, were beheaded in front of a crowd of children in Raqqa after they were accused of spying for the Kurdish YPG.
Gruesome pictures of the execution – which shows children inspecting the bodies of the victims – were posted on a dissident group’s Twitter feed.
In a series of tweets, Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently named the victims as Osama Abu Kuwait, Ihsan Al Shuwaikh, Nehad Al Hussen and Ahmed Ahawakh.
They shared pictures of the men in their Al-Shabab kits.
Another unnamed man was also executed.
