NEW DELHI: Intelligence agencies are examining reports that four Indian recruits could be among 20 ISIS terrorists beheaded in Iraq’s north-western province after they tried to escape, deserting the terror outfit.
A senior official said unconfirmed information was received from various sources, including a friendly agency, about the public beheading of four Indian recruits in Iraq’s Mosul city, on charges of desertion.
According to initial reports, the deserters were caught at a check point near Mosul city and subsequently tried by a Sharia court for treason.
Reports claimed that these ISIS terrorists deserted the posts amid fighting with Kurdish Peshmerga forces which have occupied key areas surrounding Mosul and are expected to launch the final assault to take Mosul from ISIS. Later, the deserters were beheaded by the execution team in full public view.
According to inputs, corruption is one of the main reasons for desertion, followed by infighting ‘fitna’ to abandon the ISIS and its ideology.
Inputs had also noted that the disenchantment with ISIS among the deserters clearly showed that brutality and random killing of Muslims with corrupt commanders at the helm of affairs had reduced the outfit to another bandit group.
Indians, who are used as cannon fodder by ISIS, are also considered as inferior fighters and mostly tasked to do menial jobs.