Islamic State Beheads 12 in Fight for Libyan City of Sirte

International media outlets are reporting that the Islamic State recently beheaded 12, hanging the victims' bodies on crosses, in the latest battle for the Libyan town of Sirte.

The 12 victims recently beheaded by members of the terrorist group were reportedly local fighters attempting to prevent the Islamic State from gaining control of Sirte, a coastal city that served as the hometown of former Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi.

An unnamed official told the AFP that there is continuous fighting for power in Sirte, with 22 residents in addition to the 12 executed by the Islamic State as the terrorist group attempts to gain control of the coastal city.

Reports of the 12 beheadings come after the Islamic State allegedly beheaded a Croatian hostage who had been kidnapped while working for a company outside of Cairo, Egypt.

The terror group had demanded that Muslim women imprisoned in Egypt be release in exchange for the Croatian's life, and when they weren't released the hostage was executed.

After the terrorist group's Egypt affiliate allegedly circulated a photo showing the Croatian hostage's body post-beheading, Croatian Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic released a statement saying the photo looks "horrific."

" We cannot 100 percent confirm it is true, but what we see looks horrific. A confirmation may not come for several days," Milanovic said.

Iraq's government has recently attempted to reform itself after facing accusations that it allowed its northern city of Mosul and the city of Ramadi to fall to the Islamic State earlier this year.

Iraq's Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi ordered military personnel who allegedly abandoned their posts when Ramadi fell to the Islamic State to stand trial.