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BEIRUT — The militant Islamic State group has released a video warning the United States that fighters await it in Iraq if President Barack Obama sends troops there, as he and his top general said may happen.

The 52-second video entitled “Flames of War” shows militants blowing up tanks, wounded U.S. soldiers and others about to killed. It then shows a clip of Obama saying that combat troops will not return to Iraq, ending with a text overlay that reads “fighting has just begun.”

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At one-point, an ISIS militant is seen with a handgun, about to execute kneeling hostages — which has become one of the group’s signatures. In keeping with the Hollywood movie trailer theme, it ends with “Coming soon.”

The video’s timing, released Tuesday, suggests it was a response to Gen. Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who said in testimony to the Senate Armed Services Committee that if the current Iraq strategy doesn’t prevail, he may recommend the use of ground troops.

By Wednesday morning, YouTube had removed the video, saying the content violated YouTube’s terms of service policy.

With files from National Post Staff