The Islamic State group makes its militants use drugs in order to control them, Commander of the Tigris Operations Lt. Gen. Abdul-Amir Zaidi said.
“We have confirmed information that IS forces its elements to use specific types of drugs in order to increase addiction to get them under control and push them into the abyss of death,” he was quoted as saying by local Iraqi News portal on Monday, Sputnik reported.
Zaidi said the majority of IS militants killed in recent battles in central and eastern Iraq “were found in possession of pills and narcotic drugs.”
The commander pointed out that IS suicide bombers received a triple dose of drugs before the attack.
“The organization depends on drugs dramatically and we have found big quantities of drugs in their dens in the liberated cities.”
A US-led international coalition has been conducting airstrikes against IS positions in Iraq since August 2014 and in Syria since September 2014. Despite the military campaign, IS continues to make significant advances in both countries.
In related news, an expert warned the IS could benefit from the air support the US is providing Syrian rebels.
“The decision is to provide support only for rebel forces against the IS. However, they oppose the government of Syria, so the risk is created that the US will be supporting efforts against the government,” Ohio State University Professor Emeritus John Quigley said on Monday.
He added that the US “would in effect be helping the IS” in its efforts against the Syrian government.
