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Updated: Feb 02, 2016 08:22 IST

Security agencies are examining reports that four Indians could be among the 20 Islamic State fighters who were reportedly beheaded in full public view for trying to flee a war zone in Iraq’s Mosul city.

However, there is no confirmation yet about the killing of four Indians, official sources said. According to Indian intelligence agencies, a total of 23 Indians have so far joined the IS of whom six were killed in different incidents in Iraq-Syria. As many as 17 Indians are believed to be in different conflict zones of the IS-held areas.

Agencies were verifying the reports through different sources and trying to ascertain where there were Indians among those beheaded, the sources said.

Sending out a warning to others in the group against desertion, the IS in Iraq and Syria captured a group of its own fighters who tried to flee Mosul city of Nineveh province, and executed them in public, Ara News reported quoting a local source citing an IS official as saying.

The dissidents were arrested at a checkpoint in the vicinity of Mosul on Friday. After being identified as fighters who have left their positions at the fighting front in western Mosul, they were transferred to the Sharia Court for prosecution,” the Ara News said.

“Subsequent to a brief interrogation, the Sharia Court decided to behead the dissidents on charges of treason,” it said.

Observers said the beheadings were made in a bid to terrorise ISIS members who may leave their posts in the war-torn region.

The jihadis were beheaded in central Mosul in front of hundreds of people, mostly ISIS members and commanders, the report said.

“Witnessing the brutal punishment has caused a state of panic among the members of the group,” the Ara News said.

ISIS considers jihadis who leave their posts without permission as traitors and enemies of its so-called Caliphate.