Being pushed back from all sides in its former stronghold of Mosul city in Iraq, the Islamic State group — also known as Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (Isis) or Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) — is reportedly making a lot of effort to keep the locals intimidated.

The latest of these efforts came when it killed 40 people after accusing them of treason and then crucified their bodies in public places, according to a report from the United Nations. This is in line with the kind of "punishment" the terror group metes out, often at the drop of a hat, like the time they killed 58 people for revolting as the Iraqi and coalition forces prepared to attack Mosul.

According to the UN statement: "On Tuesday, Isil reportedly shot and killed 40 civilians in Mosul city after accusing them of 'treason and collaboration' with the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF). The victims were dressed in orange clothes marked in red with the words: 'traitors and agents of the ISF'. Their bodies were then hung on electrical poles in several areas in Mosul city."

It went on to add: "On Wednesday evening, Isil reportedly shot to death 20 civilians in the Ghabat Military Base in northern Mosul, on charges of leaking information. Their bodies were also hung at various intersections in Mosul, with notes stating: 'decision of execution' and 'used cell phones to leak information to the ISF'."

Other Isis atrocities in Mosul

The statement also said of the Isis action on Tuesday: "The same evening, a 27-year-old man was allegedly publicly shot to death in the Bab al-Jideed neighbourhood of central Mosul following a so-called 'court' decision. His crime: he used a mobile phone in Mosul. Six other civilians were hanged on 20 October in Mosul for keeping hidden SIM cards, in violation of Isil's order to surrender all SIM cards."

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein was quoted as saying in the statement: "Heartbreaking images of children...children...being forced to carry out executions, stories of women being 'redistributed' among Isil fighters, of killings for possession of SIM cards, and killings of those perceived to be opposed to Isil's takfiri doctrines, the forced displacement of tens of thousands of civilians and their exploitation as human shields. And then the risk of reprisals against these long-suffering women, men and children for their perceived support of Isil – the extent of civilian suffering in Mosul and other Isil-occupied areas in Iraq is numbing and intolerable."