Isis execution video: Young boy ordered to 'kill two Russian spies' with pistol

The latest - and possibly most shocking - execution video released by Isis shows a small boy being handed a semi-automatic pistol and apparently executing two men.

Islamic State (formerly known as Isis) jihadists claim in the graphic video that the two victims are Russian spies who have confessed.

The age of the boy who then carries out the execution is unknown, but it appears he could be as young as 10-years-old.

Titled "Uncovering an enemy within", the seven minutes of footage released by Isis propaganda machine Al Hayat Media, begins by showing the separate confessions of two Russian speaking men.

Addressing the camera, the two claim they infiltrated Isis to gather information for Russian intelligence agency FSB (Federal Security Service). One says he was tasked with killing a leading Islamist figure.

In the last segment of the video, filmed outdoors, the two men are seen kneeling while behind them stands a jihadi fighter flanked by an armed child.

The gunman says the two are to be executed as spies and pushes the child forward. The boy then appears to carry out the killings, with two close range shots to the men's heads, shortly followed by another two coup de grace shots.

Charlie Winter, a researcher for the London-based counter-extremism Quilliam Foundation Think Tank, told IBTimes UK, the video was consistent with Isis propaganda strategy.

"What they are trying to do is to stay in the newspapers, keep people remembering this is the 'worst' jihadist group," Winter said.

He added that the footage also served the purpose of "shocking, showing that it [Isis] has complete control over the people living within its borders and, hence, the ability to indoctrinate their children."

Isis propaganda is known to have released videos showing young children being trained and used in combat situations in the past. One published earlier this week featured a boy blowing himself up in a suicide attack in Iraq.

However, the latest recording appears to be the first showing a child executioner. The same boy was earlier featured in another Isis propaganda video showing jihadi recruits from Kazakhstan.

It was not immediately clear where the new recording was filmed, with analysts suggesting that the use of the world 'Sham' by one of the two alleged spies indicated it was more likely set in Syria than in Iraq.

IBTimes UK could not immediately verify the authenticity of the video, which is being disputed online, with some arguing it could have been staged.

Eliot Higgins, the founder of the Brown Moses Blog wrote on Twitter: "Watched that new ISIS video frame by frame but I don't see an impact nor any blood."

He later added:

Russia is not part of the US-led anti-Isis coalition that has been conducting air strikes against the group in recent months, but is a long-standing ally and active supporter of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad.