Isis makes crowd members execute 'apostate' prisoners in latest shocking video

Islamic State (Isis) jihadists have forced civilians to carry out orders to execute "apostates" in public. Militants have been pictured in Nineveh, Iraq, selecting onlookers to murder five victims convicted of rejecting their brand of Islam.

The condemned were told to kneel in the dirt before the militants selected members of the crowd, who are often made to watch the executions, and gave them handguns. They were then ordered to fire a shot into the back of their heads.

The crowd then cheered as the men dropped to the ground before the images were released by Isis. The identities of the dead men were not revealed.

Experts believe that the recent increase in Isis propaganda videos is an attempt by the jihadists to attract more marginalised Muslims in the west and cover up the declining power of the self-declared caliphate.

These types of executions are usually reserved for spies but have become commonplace in Isis-held cities like Mosul, Fallujah and Deir ez-Zor.

This week it was reported that Isis commanders buried 45 of its own fighters alive because they fled a battle with Bashar al-Assad's Syrian Army. A source in Nineveh Province told IraqiNews.com: "Isis had buried its members, who escaped from al-Bashir battles, inside one grave in Qayyarah vicinity in Nineveh Province. The escaped Isis members were buried alive."

On 27 April, Isis released another disturbing video in which alleged spies are executed in the street with mounted cameras mimicking "first-person shooter" game angles. The new video, entitled Harvest of the Spies was released on the terror group's own propaganda channel "Wilayat ar-Raqqah" or "Province of Raqqa".

Earlier, on 17 April, Isis released a propaganda video that featured a montage of brutal killings in besieged Fallujah. The video is entitled "Where to Flee" featured beheadings, gun executions and one particularly brutal death.