IS in Syria beheads alleged Russian spy: Video

The Islamic State (IS) group released a video on Wednesday purporting to show the execution of an alleged Russian spy in Syria.

The video, which was circulated on social media, showed a prisoner wearing the orange tunic and trousers often seen on captives in IS videos.

It is the first video from the group to show the apparent execution of a Russian since Moscow began air strikes in support of Syria's government on 30 September.

Speaking in Russian, the prisoner allegedly confesses to being recruited by Russian intelligence to gather information on IS and its members from the Caucasus.

The captive introduces himself as Magomed Khasiyev, saying he is a Russian national from the Chechen Republic, according to NBC.

A Russian-speaking fighter then addresses Moscow directly, warning that its forces will be defeated and its troops killed.

The militant then says that Russian air strikes ordered by Putin against IS has "made us understand that we are doing right thing," CNN reported.

He also claims that Russian strikes "have done nothing but kill peaceful Muslims".

The video, which bears the logo of the group's media office in the Syrian province of Raqqa, ends with the beheading of the detainee.

IS has claimed the execution before of alleged Russian spies.

In January, it released a video purporting to show a young boy shooting dead two men accused of working for Russian intelligence services.

IS controls large swathes of Syria and Iraq, which it rules as a self-declared "caliphate".

The city of Raqqa, in Syria's northern Raqqa province, is held by the IS group and its de facto Syrian capital.