DOZENS of ISIS fighters are dressing in drag to flee the Iraqi battle zone, according to photos published to Instagram.

The photos show bearded men donning bras and dresses in an effort to escape northern Iraq, where US-led airstrikes continue regularly.

Iraqi army spokesman Ghalib al-Jubouri confirmed 20 Islamic State defectors were arrested trying to flee the fighting wearing women’s clothing.

They were escaping the city of Tikrit, which Iraq’s military only took back from the ISIS death cult in the past week after months of bloody battle.

The militants are dressed like women and wearing makeup, but the photos show that some still couldn’t part with their facial hair.

In one of the images, an Iraqi Army soldier is pictured pulling back a captured ISIS fighter’s burka to reveal a red floral dress and pink trousers underneath .

In the pictures some of the men in drag are accompanied by senior officers from the Iraqi Army.

Arabic captions suggest the Instagram pictures were taken in the Baiji area of the country.

The Instagram account also has photos showing dead ISIS militants and frontline fighters, according to the Mirror.

The Jersualem Post reports it is unclear what will happen with the defectors now that they are in police custody.