This is becoming common within Isis (Picture: AP)

Isis has become so paranoid about internal information being leaked that it’s executing increasing numbers of its own members.

Several leading figures within Daesh ranks have been killed in air strikes, and the extremists are convinced their members are actually doubling up as spies.

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The result is a purge in recent weeks – including the execution of 38 men on suspicion of acting as informants after Tunisian jihadi Abu Hayjaa al-Tunsi’s car was blown up.

With Daesh leaders murdering dozens of their own fighters, some have disappeared into prisons and others have fled, fearing they could be next to be accused.




The information has been confirmed by Syrian opposition activists, Kurdish militia commanders, several Iraqi intelligence officials and an informant for the Iraqi government who worked within IS ranks.

The militant group has been rocked by suspicions of spies (Picture: AP)

The fear of spies has fuelled paranoia, and a mobile phone or internet connection is enough to raise suspicions.

Isis has displayed dead bodies of suspected spies in public as a warning, or used gruesome methods – reportedly dropping about a dozen into a vat of acid.

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Rami Abdurrahman, who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, explained that some fighters began leaking information about targets and movements of the group’s officials in exchange for money

Isis has reportedly suffered a hit to funding since losing supply routes into Turkey, and have sharply reduced salaries.

They’re still recruiting but becoming paranoid (Picture: AP)

Mr Abdurrahman said: ‘They have executed dozens of fighters on charges of giving information to the coalition or putting (GPS) chips in order for the aircraft to strike at a specific area.’

Militants have responded with methods of their own for rooting out spies.

These include supplying false information to a suspect about the movements of IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, and if an airstrike follows on the alleged location, they know the suspect is a spy.