The Islamic State (IS) militant group announced that its West African affiliate Boko Haram named a new leader. Abu Musab al-Barnawi, previously served as the spokesman for the Nigerian-based Islamists, is featured in an interview published in the latest issue of an IS magazine.

According to the interview, the new leader is threatening to bomb churches and kill Christians while ending attacks on mosques and markets used by ordinary Muslims.

Abu Musab al-Barnawi identified as the new "Wali," or governor, of its so-called West Africa Province in the magazine. The "Wali" title was previously used to describe long-time Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau.

The Times of India reported, "They strongly seek to Christianize the society. They exploit the condition of those who are displaced under the raging war, providing them with food and shelter and then Christianizing their children," SITE Intelligence quotes the new leader as saying.

Al-Barnawi says the militants will respond to that threat by "booby-trapping and blowing up every church that we are able to reach, and killing all of those (Christians) who we find from the citizens of the cross."

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Nandini