Expert warns IS to get more brutal as militants' grip loosens in Iraq, Syria

An expert has warned that the Islamic State (IS) will get more brutal in the coming time witnessing loss in their key strongholds in Iraq and Syria.

Natasha Underhill, an expert on Middle Eastern and international terrorism at Nottingham Trent University, said that IS will carry out more brutal killings to compensate for the territories they have lost from Kurdish and Iraqi forces, Daily Express reported. Underhill added that it would be too soon to dismiss IS completely, who in order to show their power for promoting fear would turn into more violent and brutal killings.

The group has often released videos featuring brutal murders of hostages, to prove their danger and existence, but has failed to attract new supporters globally, said the expert. One of the biggest issues with the organisation is jihadists leaving to "fight the fight", facing a drop in the number of its members in the Middle East.