Reports from the Iraqi town of Al-Baghdadi, located just a few miles from an air base holding U.S. Marines, claimed that militants from ISIS burned 45 people on Tuesday.
According to a report from the BBC, it remains unknown who the people were or the reason why they died in the first place. Col. Qasim al-Obeidi believed that some of the victims included members of the security forces.
"[ISIS] fighters captured much of the town, near Ain al-Asad air base, last week," the BBC wrote.
The Iraqi colonel added that a compound that houses the families of security personnel and local officials has now been targeted by ISIS militants. According to the BBC, he asked both the international community for help.
"The fighting and poor communications in the area make it difficult to confirm such reports," the BBC wrote.
According to a report from Fox News, the latest acts of inhumane brutality from ISIS came after the terror group released a video that showed the beheadings of 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians on a beach in Libya. That action was even condemned by Pope Francis, who described the killings as "barbaric."
ISIS has previously used the method of burning someone before. The BBC reported that ISIS militants set fire to a Jordanian fighter pilot in a video that was released earlier this month, which triggered a heavy-handed response from the king of Jordan in the form of executing two death-row prisoners and sending airstrikes in Syria.
"In a video released by ISIS two weeks ago, Lt. Muath al-Kaseasbeh was shown being burned alive in a cage," Fox News wrote.
The BBC reported that ISIS fighters had besieged Al-Bagdadi for months before it fell under the terror group's control on Thursday. Previously, it was also one of the few towns the Iraqi government controlled in Anbar province.
Fox News reported that 400 U.S. military personnel were in Ain al-Asad air base, where they are training both Iraqi soldiers and Sunni tribesmen to take out ISIS. However, ISIS fighters have previously tried to attack the base, most recently on Friday.
"The base has been the target of sporadic mortar fire in past weeks, and the jihadist army has been moving forces from its strongholds in Syria to Anbar Province, possibly setting the stage for a major clash with forces on the base that is now the sole bulwark between ISIS and Baghdad," Fox News wrote.
The BBC noted that Iraqi forces, with the help of U.S.-led coalition aircraft, repelled an ISIS attack that included several suicide bombers.
Despite the fact Ain al-Asad air base was dangerously close to ISIS militants, retired Col. Thomas Lynch told Fox News that if the terror group tried to capture the base in large numbers, it would make them a target for airstrikes.
