But that has made their latest decision on the fate of 19 Christian prisoners all the more surprising to some. On Sunday, ISIS released them.
Another 10 Assyrian Christians are expected to join them in freedom after a short time in captivity.
All but one of the Christians released were part of a group of 220 Assyrians captured last week during offensives on northern Syrian villages, said the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
In the shadow of its sadistic merciless, the sudden reversal leaves many asking — why?
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Social media posts indicate that ISIS carries out mass killings regularly, but most of those killed are Muslims.
“Exempted from automatic execution, it appears, are Christians who do not resist their new government,” Wood wrote. They are required to pay a special tax and acknowledge the new ruling power.
CNN’s Dana Ford contributed to this report.
