(AhlulBayt News Agency) - The leader of the self-declared Islamic State (IS), Abubakir al-Baghdadi has lost trust in its militants from Iraq, and started a campaign to remove them from the important positions, says a local source from Mosul.
Baghdadi has recently ordered to replace most of the Iraqis in charge of influential positions, especially in the military and intelligence ranks, the source told al-Sumaria News.
Especially in Mosul and the surrounding districts, IS is now appointing new commanders and military operatives who are non-Iraqis, apparently to prevent the Iraqi elements within the group from cooperating with the government forces and leaking intelligence.
As the takfiri group is rapidly losing ground to the Iraqi army, it is now struggling to re-form the frontline and fortify the areas it still holds. The group has previously executed scores of people in Mosul on charge of spying and cooperating with the Iraqi forces.
US officials said earlier this year that IS has lost roughly 40% of the Iraqi territory and 20% of Syrian ground.
Recapturing Mosul from IS is said to step up the complete elimination of the group.
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