Smokers used to be flogged in Syrian territory ruled by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant — now they are fined about $65. Local rulers dismantle old state facilities to sell for parts. And shopkeepers complain Isis fighters no longer spend so freely.
The world’s richest jihadi group is not as flush as it once was, say Syrians who live under its rule. Isis has cut spending on fuel and bread subsidies, while shaking down locals for cash. Fighters themselves may be feeling a squeeze too.
“Isis took some kind of financial hit . . . Some fighters’ salaries were cut, including my nephew,” said a man in the eastern city of Mayadin, on the Euphrates river, who says an apparent drop in the group’s revenues is making it difficult to cover the cost of Isis expansion in territory and membership since its lightning offensive last year.