London: ISIS has cut its fighters’ salaries by 50 per cent in Syria due to “exceptional circumstances” as air strikes continue to target its revenue streams.
The US-led coalition has been bombing the terrorist group’s oil fields, supply lines and cash stores since October as part of Operation Tidal Wave II, and an order released little over a month later appears to show the tactic having an effect.
The document appears to have been released by the so-called Islamic State’s treasury, the “Bayt Mal al-Muslimeen”, in its Syrian stronghold of Raqqa.
It cites the Koran to discuss “jihad of wealth and jihad of the soul.”
“So on account of the exceptional circumstances the Islamic State is facing, it has been decided to reduce the salaries that are paid to all mujahideen by half, and it is not allowed for anyone to be exempted from this decision,” the order reads.
American officials claimed that operations were already “putting significant damage on Isil’s ability to fund itself” in November and vowed to “step up the attack”.
