After the most recent round of coalition strikes against ISIS, the terrorist group is reportedly suffering from massive financial losses and plunging morale, according to The Washington Post.
Reports of budget cuts from the terrorist group were revealed in January, but since then the organization has suffered an “unprecedented cash crunch” as US-led forces continue to destroy oil refineries, tankers and structures where ISIS keeps its cash throughout their territory in Syria and Iraq.
According to Charles Lister, a resident fellow at the Middle East Institute, explained during a panel discussion in Washington, DC last week that salary cuts “have significantly hit the organization’s morale.”
“There are more and more frequent reports … of infighting, armed clashes breaking out in the middle of the night in places like Raqqa between rival factions.”
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“These are all indications of a significant drop in morale and a decrease in internal cohesion. And the cohesion argument was always something that analysts like myself always said was one of ISIS’ strongest strengths.”
Iraqi engineer Abu Sara, 33, told The Post that ISIS members lost interest as they lost their salaries and are now looking for ways to escape.
“Their members are getting quite angry. Either they are not getting salaries or getting much less than they used to earn. All of the people I am in contact with want to escape, but they don’t know how.”
Sara also revealed that some fighters will “throw down their weapons and mingle with the civilians” when they’re suppose to be fighting.
Unfortunately, the organization still controls a significant amount of Syria’s oil resources and it may still be some time until the organization completely fall apart. Iraqi military strategist Hisham al-Hashimi told The Post:
“They’re not going through a financial crisis that will lead to their collapse. They still have 60 percent of Syrian oil wells and 5 percent of Iraq’s.”
