Boko Haram's Graphic Video Echoes Islamic State Tactics, Experts Say

The terrorist group Boko Haram has released a graphic video that show beheadings of hostages, echoing similar tactics used by Syrian-based terrorist group the Islamic State.

According to The Guardian, the recently-released video, which allegedly shows the beheading of two men, uses the same advanced graphics and editing techniques used previously by the Islamic State.

The video's sequence is similar to those of the Islamic State, including a black-clad militant threatening viewers before showing two men on their knees, claiming they had spied on the Nigeria-based terrorist group. The men are then shown decapitated, a tactic similar to videos produced by the Islamic State that show decapitated heads resting on the hostages' backs after the beheading.

Terrorism experts tell CNN and other media outlets that the recent video indicates Boko Haram has ties to the Islamic State, or is at least trying to copy the terrorist group's brutal methods, possibly in an attempt to be more effective in their demands.

"It's clear Boko Haram is leaning toward ISIS in terms of doctrine, ideology and an emphasis on holding territory after operations," Jacob Zenn, an expert on Boko Haram methods, told CNN recently.

While Nigeria's government has already suggested that Boko Haram has connections to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State, the terrorist group has yet to confirm such claims.

"This latest release shows Boko Haram is not a mere copycat of ISIS; rather, it is incorporating itself into the Islamic State," Veryan Khan, editorial director of Terrorism Research & Analysis Consortium (TRAC), told the Associated Press.

"Islamic state supporters are already starting to call Boko Haram the 'Islamic State Africa,'" the editorial director added.