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The intimate photos of an ISIS fighter found dead at the side of a river reveal the haunting transition of a fresh-faced teenager to a rifle-wielding terrorist.

During the sweep of a jihadi hideout held by members of the Nineveh Fire Support Group, a rear-line, back-up unit in Mosul, Iraq, a journalist discovered three militants by the River Tigris.

One man had been crushed by a collapsed concrete bunker, one had part of his head missing and the third's right leg was mangled. All three were dead.

In one of the young fighter's pockets, BBC Middle East Correspondent Quentin Sommerville found a handful of Syrian coins, some cash - and a memory card from a mobile phone.

The files retrieved from this tiny flash drive reveal its owner as a member of the Khaled Ibn Al-Walid Unit - possibly called Abu Ali Al Moslaue, although this has not been confirmed, the BBC reports .

(Image: bbc.co.uk)

The photos reveal a wide-eyed teenager with long, curly, dark hair, flawless skin and a slight smile.

In one picture he has an arm slung over the shoulder of a little girl wearing sunglasses. She is holding one index finger up - the Islamic sign for 'one true god'.

In another, he is leaning against a rock with a Kalashnikov rifle on his hip.

One photo shows the man pretending to sleep on a flowery mat. A comrade has taken the picture - you can see his shadow in the foreground.

Other pictures show groups of young men in army gear, smiling at the camera with their arms around each other.

One photo shows a different fighter with his gloved hands resting on the switch of a hidden suicide vest.

(Image: BBC)

The collection of images show scenes of camaraderie, loyalty, violence and devotion.

But most shockingly they reveal the secret life of a teenage boy who was likely manipulated by militants from a very young age.

By the time of his death it appears he was prepared and willing to sacrifice everything for his caliphate.