(VOVworld) – The Islamic State in Libya released a video on Sunday purportedly showing the killing of 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians kidnapped in Libya last month.

An image grab taken from a video released by the jihadist media arm Al-Hayat Media Centre on February 15, 2015, purportedly shows black-clad IS group fighters leading handcuffed hostages, said to be Egyptian Coptic Christians (Photo: AFP)

The Egyptian government and the Coptic Church confirmed the authenticity of the footage, released on Sunday.

It showed the Egyptian workers, all wearing orange jump suits, being beheaded near a waterfront said to be located in the Libyan province of Tripoli.

In the wake of the video release, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi called for an emergency meeting of Egypt's top national security team and declared seven days of mourning.

President Sisi noted that Egypt "reserves the right to respond in a suitable way and time" in a televised speech.

The Coptic Church issued a statement saying it was "confident" the Christians' killers would be brought to justice as it confirmed those beheaded were Egyptian Copts.