Islamic State calls on followers to KILL Twitter employees over account blocking
ISLAMIC STATE has called on jihadists across the world to KILL Twitter employees in retaliation for the online company's efforts to block extremist accounts.
One post – shared by dozens of Islamic State supporters online – singles out Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey.
Your virtual war on us will cause a real war on you
A chilling, digitally-edited image shows the American businessman in the crosshairs of a gun.
"Your virtual war on us will cause a real war on you," the threat reads, in Arabic.
The post, which also features the Twitter logo, is reportedly being taken very seriously by the popular social media company.
In the post, Islamic State claims Mr Dorsey and other employees of Twitter have “become a target for the soldiers of the Caliphate and supporters scattered among your midst," BuzzFeed reports.
"You started this failed war," it continues. "We told you from the beginning it’s not your war, but you didn’t get it and kept closing our accounts on Twitter, but we always come back."
"But when our lions [brave men] come and take your breath, you will never come back to life."
Although Twitter's terms of service allows its users to post "potentially inflammatory content" it does not permit "direct, specific threats of violence against others."
US company Twitter has so far cooperated with the British government to delete content violating UK terror laws.
Islamic State have become known for their hugely successful use of social media to rally their supporters.
Last month, the extremists tweeted a video calling on its followers to launch a series of attacks on police or military officials across the United Kingdom, USA and France.
The threat, which has not been independently verified, claims: "For the ‘individual jihadi’ all over the world, target the Twitter company and its interests in any place, people, and buildings, and don’t allow any one of the atheists to survive."
Jim Prosser, a spokesperson for Twitter told BuzzFeed: "Our security team is investigating the veracity of these threats with relevant law enforcement officials."
Twitter is not the only social media site targeting Islamic State content.
YouTube has also cooperated with the British government – quickly removing propaganda films showing the gruesome beheading of a number of hostages, including US journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff, American aid worker Peter Kassig, British aid workers Alan Henning and David Haines and Japanese hostages Kenji Goto and Haruna Yukawa.
Facebook deleted copies of a video showing Jordanian pilot Lieutenant Muadh al-Kasasbeh being burned alive in a cage.
Some Islamic State supporters have got around the restrictions by using sites such as JustPaste.it, which allow anonymous postings.
