The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has reported that the Islamic State (IS) militant group has executed some 2,000 people in Syria since June, 120 of them foreign fighters who had joined the group.
The observatory said in a statement on December 28 that it had documented the executions of nearly 1,200 civilians who were shot, stabbed, or beheaded by the extremist group since June, mainly in the provinces of Deir al-Zour, Al Raqqa, Hama, Aleppo, and al-Hasaka.
The observatory reported the IS also executed 116 foreign fighters for trying to flee to their home countries. Four other foreign fighters were killed for violations of the extremist group's code.
IS militants also executed some 500 Syrian soldiers and nearly 100 members of other Islamic groups fighting in Syria.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Central Command reported on December 28 that eight coalition air strikes on the Kobani area in northern Syria had destroyed 13 IS fighting positions and hit one large IS unit.
The Central Command said coalition forces in Iraq launched five air strikes, one each near Sinjar and Mosul that destroyed IS fighting positions, two at IS facilities near Al-Qaim, and one near Ar-Rutbah that destroyed an IS bunker and vehicle.
