Islamic State militants execute 17 Syrians

Damascus, Nov 6: The

(IS) militant group executed a total of 17 Syrians over the past three days in the country's eastern province of Deir al-Zour, a monitoring group reported late on Wednesday.

The terror group's fighters either beheaded or crucified the 17 people in different cities in the oil-rich Deir al-Zour on different charges, such as being snitches to the government forces, or members of anti-IS militants, Xinhua quoted the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights as saying.

The IS has become in control over large swathes of Deir al-Zour, which is close to the Iraqi borders. The extremist group has imposed strict rule in Deir al-Zour and its de facto capital of al- Raqqa in northern Syria.

Earlier IS militants had executed over 200 tribesmen as an action of revenge. The killings took place in different parts of Syria and the bodies were found in mass graves.

IANS