The Islamic State of Iraq and the Sham's administrative division in Salahaddin proudly displayed photographs of the capture and execution of Iraqi soldiers after it took over a base in the province.
The graphic photographs were released today on the Twitter account belonging to Wilayat Salahaddin, or Salahaddin Division. The ISIS has divided its "state" in Iraq and Syria into 16 administrative units, or wilayats.
The stream of photographs begins by showing ISIS fighters in dirt-caked pickup trucks with machine guns mounted in the beds traveling to Tasfirat prison in the city of Tikrit, and then launching an assault with dismounted troops. Tikrit fell to the ISIS earlier this week.
After capturing the base, the ISIS takes photographs of dozens of US-supplied armored Humvees, Ford and Chevy pickup trucks, and various military transport and supply vehicles that were left behind.
ISIS fighters are then photographed posing over the bloodied and mutilated corpses of the slain soldiers. The ISIS photos show the capture, transport, and execution of scores of Iraqi soldiers. Most of the soldiers are in civilian clothes, but some are seen wearing civilian clothes over their uniforms.
Iraqi soldiers had reportedly shed their uniforms and deserted en masse as the ISIS blitzkrieg advanced from Mosul to Tikrit and on to the outskirts of Samarra in the course of one week. At least four Iraqi Army divisions are said to have melted away during the ISIS onslaught.
In the photos, the Iraqi soldiers are rounded up at gunpoint and placed on flatbed trucks, some of which appear to have been captured from the base. Some of the ISIS fighters are seen holding US-made M-16 assault rifles, which had been issued to the Iraqi Army and police forces.
The ISIS fighters then order the frightened soldiers to lie face down in shallow ditches, with their hands behind their backs. ISIS fighters then open fire on the unarmed prisoners of war.
The ISIS is said to have executed thousands of Iraqi soldiers during its southward advance to Baghdad. Several Iraqi military bases are believed to have been overrun. Forward Operating Base Speicher, which once was a major US military hub in Salahaddin province, was reportedly seized by the ISIS during its southward push.
Over the past week, the ISIS took control of Ninewa and most of Salahaddin province, as well as parts of Diyala province. Most of Anbar province fell under ISIS control in January.
WARNING: Many of the images below are graphic and show the execution of Iraqi soldiers. The intent of publishing these photographs is to document the war crimes committed by the ISIS. The images are a selection of more than 60 published by the ISIS' Salahaddin Division. You can view the all of the photographs here.
ISIS fighters move in a convoy in Salahaddin province:
ISIS fighters open fire from a pickup truck as dismounted troops assault a base:
ISIS fighters travel in a captured Iraqi police pickup truck:
A captured American-made Iraqi Army Humvee:
Two ISIS fighters pose with captured military vehicles:
Two ISIS fighters pose over the body of a dead Iraqi soldier:
Iraqi soldiers are herded to a truck to be transported to their execution:
Iraqi soldiers are transported to the execution site:
ISIS fighter opens fire on Iraqi prisoners as they lie in a shallow ditch:
An ISIS fighter holds a US M-16 rifle as captured Iraqi soldiers lie face down on the ground:
An Iraqi soldier wore civilian clothes over his uniform in an attempt to disguise himself:
ISIS fighters form a line and execute the captured Iraqi soldiers:
