ISIS in Syria executed over 90 last month

The Islamic State jihadist group has executed more than 90 people, a third of them civilians, over the past month in areas of war-torn Syria under its control, a monitoring group said yesterday.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 32 civilians were among 91 people executed for "crimes" in the jihadist group's self-proclaimed caliphate between July 29 and August 29.

The toll included ISIS members, rebel fighters and forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad.

Witchcraft, homosexual acts and working with the US-led coalition fighting ISIS in Iraq and Syria are among "crimes" punishable by death for the group.

Since it announced its "caliphate" in June 2014, ISIS has swept across Syria, seizing swathes of land in central Hama and Homs provinces, Deir Ezzor and Hasakeh in the east, and the north's Raqa and Aleppo.

According to the Britain-based Observatory, the latest monthly toll has brought to 3,156 people the number of ISIS executions in Syria since the caliphate was announced.

The number includes 1,841 civilians.

ISIS has become notorious for its gruesome displays of violence, often shown in videos posted on the Internet, including beheadings, stoning and pushing victims off rooftops.

The US-led coalition has been bombarding ISIS in Syria since September 2014.