IS announces pay cut for its fighters

Reports have emerged of the dreaded Islamic State (IS) terror group’s decision to cut the salaries of its fighters by half blaming the “exceptional circumstances”, a sign of worsening financial situation of the outfit.

The group’s Bayt al-Mal, the Treasury Ministry, has decided to cut the salaries of its fighters in half due to the “exceptional circumstances” the IS has been witnessing, The Jerusalem Post said, citing new documents released last month. The terror group reportedly did not explain exactly what those “exceptional circumstances” were. 

However, the IS decision came amid reports of a U.S.-led coalition airstrike this month that destroyed a cash storage facility of the group in Iraq’s Mosul city where it had stored “millions” to pay its operatives and for ongoing operations. Millions of dollars were burned in the strike. “ISIS’ financial situation today is even worse than it was in December when the document came out,” the paper said. 

In order to deal with the financial damage, the IS-appointed Governor in Mosul issued a fatwa allowing militants to raise funds from the local citizens by taxing them. The group said the move would not affect the collection and distribution of Zakat, a religious obligatory tax, the paper said, citing the documents. 

To justify its decision, the IS cited the Koran, claiming that it prioritises “jihad of wealth,” or spending in beneficial or charitable ways, over “jihad of soul,” the paper added.