ISIS Child Soldier In Execution Video 'Recognized' By French Classmates

A child who was allegedly seen killing an Israeli citizen in an ISIS video released Tuesday is said to have been recognized by his classmates in the French city of Toulouse, the Agence France-Presse reported Saturday, citing officials. The video purportedly showed the execution of Mohamed Said Ismail Musallam, who was claimed a member of the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad by the Islamic State group.

The students recognized the boy after they saw the video on Wednesday, following which they were provided with counseling, Vauquelin secondary school reportedly said.

"Concerning the formal identification of this person, I cannot tell you anything," the school’s inspector in the Haute-Garonne district in southern France, Jacques Caillaut, was quoted as saying. "Children from the Vauquelin College have recognized one of their classmates, but we must remain cautious."

The child was seen with another man, both of who were unmasked, and were speaking French, unlike previous videos of hostage executions released by ISIS.

On Thursday, French officials launched a formal investigation into the video after the older executioner was suspected of being linked to an attacker involved in a Jewish school attack in southern France in 2012, according to AFP.

“O Jews, Allah has gifted us with killing your followers in your own stronghold in France,” the older ISIS militant said in the video. “As for here in the Islamic State, the young lion of the Khalifa will kill the one sent by the foolish Mossad to spy on the secrets of the mujahidin and the Muslims.”