IS 'executes 15 members' in Iraq's Mosul

The Islamic State group [IS, formerly ISIS] has reportedly executed 15 members from its own organisation in the Iraqi city of Mosul, in an apparent attempt to reinforce loyalty within the group's ranks. 

A local source in the Nineveh province told the al-Araby al-Jadeed Arabic service that 15 members of the group, including seniors in the town of Qayyara, went against the "military plans of the group".

This "prompted" the group to put them on trial before its sharia court.

The source added that the executions were carried out by a firing squad two days after the sentencing.

The men were from different foreign nationalities, particularly Russia.

According to Iraqi local media, the cause of the executions are due to doctrinal and ideological differences related to fighting.

Ibrahim Fahdawi, an expert on militant groups, told al-Araby al-Jadeed that "a large organisation, such as the Islamic State group, needs a strong and united leadership in order to continue their plans to build a proto-state."

In order to enforce loyalty, stringent disciplinary measures are carried out against the group's own members.

"When commanders contradict the general policy of the group, it means dividing the ranks, which is punishable by death," Fahdawi said.

"The group is seeking to build and expand its state, and would not hesitate to take any action to reinforce its unity."

Although Fahdawi said that "the executions will certainly have a negative impact on the organisation and its psyche," he feels that "this will outweigh the risks of future division with the ranks."

IS often executes its own members, including leaders within the group.

It is thought that these are usually carried out to dissuade other IS members from defecting, and also to reassert power of the leadership.

Last month 73 militants who had fled fled fighting with the Peshmerga forces in the Yazidi region of Shingal few days ago, were executed.