Islamic State Video Claims Beheading of Russian

The Islamic State released a video Wednesday showing the beheading of a man it identified as a Russian spy.

The video says that the man had joined the Islamic State terrorist group, but they determined he was a Russian spy, according to NBC news.

The video is titled, “You Shall be Disappointed and Humiliated O Russians,” according to cnn.  The authenticity of the video could not be immediately confirmed.

The man doing the killing on the video says the bombing of Islamic State positions by Russia “has only made us more certain and firm.”

Russia has been bombing Islamic State targets in Syria since the militant group claimed responsibility for the downing of a Russian airliner over Egypt on October 31.

Coalition forces target oil operations

The beheading comes as United States led coalition forces continue to face major challenges trying to defeat the militant group. France has stepped up air strikes of Islamic State militants after terrorist attacks in Paris that killed 130 people on November 13.

One target of United States, France and coalition partners is Islamic State oil operations.

Islamic State sells oil it has stolen to pay for its terrorist operations, said the Obama administration.

Islamic State makes an estimated $100 million dollars to $500 million dollars a year from oil sales, said a congressional report. It is not the largest source of revenue, but still critical, according to the Obama administration.

It is difficult to stop these oil sales, it said.

Bombing by the United States and coalition forces stopped some oil sales, but not enough, the Obama administration said.

In addition, it is hard for some to resist cheap oil, even if sold by a  terrorist organization, said Ben Bahney, an analyst for the Rand Corporation. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Turkey recently of shooting down one of its fighter jets “to protect oil supply routes to Turkey” from the Islamic State.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan denies this.

U.S. to send special forces

Defense Secretary Ash Carter told Congress Tuesday that the U.S. plans to send 200 special forces personnel in Iraq within weeks.

The job for the special forces troops will be ambitious, Carter said.

“These special operations will over time be able to conduct raids, free hostages, gather intelligence and capture ISIL leaders,” Carter said.

Islamic State militants and the Taliban in Afghanistan continue to terrorize in other parts of the world, as well.

More than two dozen priests and religious leaders in Bangladesh said they received death threats recently. The threats were made via text messages, phone calls and postal letters.

And, in Afghanistan, the Taliban Wednesday criticized NATO’s decision to extend its mission in the country. NATO is an alliance of nations from Europe and North America.

NATO announced Tuesday it will keep 12,000 troops in Afghanistan through 2016. It will continue military and financial aid to the Kabul government through 2020.

I'm Jonathan Evans.

Shaikh Azizur Rahman Ayaz Gul, Cindy Saine and Jeff Seldin for VOA News. Bruce Alpert adapted this story for Learning English. Kathleen Stuck was the editor.