Islamic State (Isis) extremists have crucified three men in the street after giving them 70 lashes as punishment for breaking their Ramadan fast in the self-declared caliphate. The men, who were locked in cages before their killing, were handed the horrific treatment by the feared Daesh (Isis) al-Hisbah religious police who closely observe civilians in Syria and Iraq, dishing out brutal punishments for seemingly minor infringements.

Accused of breaking the fast two, people from the Syrian town of Mayadin, near Deir ez-Zor, around 50 miles from the Iraqi border, were tied to crosses outside the police station. Another man was said to have been subjected to the same treatment in the nearby town of Bukamal, according to Justice for Life Observatory in Dier ez-Zor.

On 21 May Isis released a propaganda message encouraging supporters within the US and Europe to plan attacks on their own during Ramadan. Before their horrific killings all three men were said to have been kept in cages for hours on end and lashed 70 times.

The practice of putting perceived 'criminals' is said to set examples to other citizens says Rami Abdelrahman, from the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. He said: "We heard of similar instances happening in Raqqa".

In 2015 Isis ruthlessly caged and crucified 94 people, including five children, after they were caught breaking their fast. In Pakistan reports have emerged that an elderly Hindu man was savagely beaten for selling and eating food during daylight hours, prohibited by Ramadan.

On June 17 Daesh released gruesome images of the brutal 'punishment' meted out to a suspected thief. Demonstrating the savagery of the militant group, graphic images of the victim's hand and foot being amputated were circulated online. Seated on a plastic chair, the suspect is blindfolded and his right hand and left foot are cut off. Isis sympathisers described the man as a 'highway robber'.

In the past Isis has shared a full list of 'crime and punishment' inside their stolen territory that bridges Syria and Iraq stating that those who commit theft should have their hands chopped off. In a number of other Daesh propaganda videos alleged criminals are seen wreathing in pain after limbs have been amputated.