The Islamic State jihadist group's leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has ordered its militants not to issue propaganda videos showing the entire beheadings of their captives, pan- Arab daily Al-Quds al-Arabi reports.
The UK-based paper cited pro-IS media sources as saying al-Baghdadi has ruled that only the initial cutting of the victim's throat and the final placing of their head on their body may be shown in the beheading videos.
Al-Baghdadi's order is intended "to respect the sensitivities of Muslims and children who find such images [of entire beheadings] repulsive", Al-Quds al-Arabi reported.
The paper did not state when the order was given but it is believed to have been in recent weeks. A video that surface on Friday purporting to show an IS boy fighter beheading a Syrian soldier in Palmyra appears to respect Al-Baghdadi's diktat.