Updates from Mosul: ISIS leaders visit Erbil, humanitarian crisis in Mosul, and ISIS takes over the Orthodox Archbishopric

ISIS has a variety of many funding sources, which never runs out. And it wasn’t the money they gained after controlling Mosul that gave rise for their funding. ISIS was forcing people to give 100-100,000 US dollars before they entered Mosul, this was done throughout forcing monthly payments upon people.

 

Today’s morning, ISIS took over the Orthodox Archbishopric in Al-Shurta [policemen] neighbourhood in Mosul. They raised their flags over it despite the presence of its Archbishop and some families inside. The fate of the priest and those with him remains unknown.

 

ISIS issued a decision to exclude all Christians from the payslip lists which were approved to be given to staff within the next few days.

 

I managed to know from a very important source that 3 commanders/ leaders of ISIS had returned today from Erbil, after their visit for 3 days. One of those leaders/ commanders is a well- known Baa’thist character; however, I could not obtain his name.

 

With the beginning of Ramadan: continuous electricity blackout; complete lack in fuel (gas); the markets are closed; and a state of anxiety has become noticeable in the city.

  

ISIS spreads flyers among Mosques preachers, stamped by their logo and the following sentence “Mosques Affairs Committee” and it consists of two sections:

First: Friday’s prayer preacher must talk about “Al-Jihad” [fighting] and the necessity of implementing Al-Sharia Law.

Second: Ramadan preach is divided into 4 Fridays: “The first is to encourage virtue, fasting and Ramadan’s goodness; the second is about the necessity of Al-Jihad [fighting]; the third is a farewell preach to Ramadan; and the fourth is about donating money”.

  

A new group of those who volunteered to join ISIS has been sent to Anbar and Tikrit today. The children volunteers has become a noticeable phenomenon in Mosul.

 

Mosul today: the life is suspended, no electricity, no fuel, no salaries, the markets are totally shut in areas which used to be crowded with people: Al-Serchekhana area, Bab Al-Saray, Al-Najafi Street, Al-Meedan – all of them are shut and the movement of people has reduced significantly.