Contrary to claims that Islamic State (ISIS) fighters are given attractive pay for rendering dangerous services, new documents released by a scholarly journal reveals that they only get a pittance monthly salary of $50 but could be given subsidies if they have more wives, children and even sex slaves.
The information cited a wage voucher of one worker identified as al-Jiburi who was paid a base salary of just $50 month, but got $50 for each of his two wives and another $35 for each of his six children under the age of 15. If he has female captives or sex slaves, an ISIS fighter will also be entitled an additional $50 per month, reports the Washington Post.
Aymenn Jawad al-Tamimi, a British scholar who obtained the papers and wrote it on CTC Journal, said the documents do not include bonuses paid to fighters on the front lines.
Al-Tamimi said the series of documents she obtained came from Syria and Iraqi towns that were freed from ISIS' control within the last six months. The journal is being published by the Combating Terrorism Center in New York, according to the Post.
"The documentary evidence confirms the current coalition approach has brought about significant losses for the Islamic State and put it under pressure on multiple fronts," she said.
Earlier this year, ISIS announced it slashed the wages of its fighters by half due to "exceptional circumstances'' after the group has lost roughly 22 percent of its territory. The records show that group is coming under increasing financial strain following coalition airstrikes targeting ISIS finances.
The records also reportedly show that the extremist group now rations fuel, electricity and other resources. Fighters are also banned from using vehicles for personal reasons, reports Christian Post.
Al-Tamimi warned, however, that despite ISIS' dire financial conditions as suggested by the documents, this does not imply that the extremist group is faltering.
"You have to be careful. Some defectors are claiming that the Islamic State's end is imminent, but I don't see that. It's just not the case,'' she said, according to reports.
