Islamic State killed 3500 Syrians since 2013: monitoring group

(Zaman Alwasl)- Members of the hardline Islamic State group, which seized Mosul in June and also controls swathes of territory in neighboring Syria, have shot, beheaded and crucified 3473 people, mostly Syrians, since the group appeared in Syria in 2013, Syrian Network for Human Rights said in new report.

According to the report, 782 of victims were civilians, including 138 children and 139 women, 2691 were from Free Syrian Army, Islamic battalions, Syrian regime army and Kurdish troops.

The Islamic State’s abuses and harsh brand of religion prompted a backlash from rebel groups that pushed it out of many opposition-held areas earlier this year, according to AFP.  

The number of IS fighters has passed 50,000 in Syria, including 20,000 non-Syrians, Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said last week.

Meanwhile, At least 191,369 people have been killed in Syria's conflict through April, more than double the figure documented a year ago and probably still an under-estimate, the United Nations human rights office said.