Islamic State executes members’ families fearing tip-offs

Tal Afar (IraqiNews.com) Islamic State fighters are executing their own families fearing that they could tip police off about them, a government source was quoted saying on Tuesday.

Alsumaria News quoted the source saying that IS began executing the families of its fighters in the town of Tal Afar, west of Mosul. The move move was based on a “fatwa” (a religious edict) by the group’s legislature.

“The fatwa was made fearing that those families could report them (the fighters) and turn them in as operations to recapture the region loom,” the source said.

According to the source, security forces have prepared 10.000 fighters with enhanced military capabilities to retake Tal Afar and regain full control over Nineveh.

The Iraqi government declared victory over the Islamic State in Mosul  last week after more than eight months of fighting. The Iraqi command said Tal Afar and a few surrounding areas were the only ones remaining under IS control. Islamic State maintains a few other havens outside Nineveh, which are expected to be the next targets of Iraqi forces to end the group’s self-proclaimed “Caliphate” declared from Mosul in 2014.

Authorities in Mosul have recently began measures to isolate IS fighters families from refugees displaced by the war against the group. Plans were set to shelter those families at separate camps for rehabilitation.