ISIS fighters shave beards, abandon uniforms in Diyala to escape from Iraqi Army

Diyala (IraqiNews.com) On Tuesday, Diyala province police chief Lt. Gen. Jamil Al-Shammari revealed that fighters of the so-called Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) abandoned their uniforms and shaved their beards in three areas within the province — adding that such action is an indicator of the organization’s attempts to find ways to escape after the blockade of its strongholds.

Shammari said in an interview for IraqiNews.com, “We have information regarding ISIS abandoning their uniform which distinguishes its personnel — also that most of its the elements have shaved their beards in the northern regions of Muqdadiya (35 km northeast of Baquba), in Mansuriya’s ends (40 km east of Baquba), and in the outskirts of Jalawla (70 km north-east of Baquba).”

Shammari added, “Changes in uniforms and outward appearances of ISIS elements are an indicator of serious attempts to find ways to escape after blockading their strongholds over the past few weeks.”