"They want to make everyone a human shield... With military operations (to retake Mosul) looming, they want to blend in with the population," she said.Air strikes by Iraqi and US-led coalition warplanes have targeted IS positions and hideouts in the Mosul area since August 2014 but any effort to reclaim control of the city has yet to begin in earnest.A former member of the security services who still lives in Mosul said IS militants had been adopting a lower profile in recent months."For example, IS members lately have been using more and more regular, unmarked civilian cars. They've ditched the military vehicles and flags," he said."This new rule on growing beards is in the same vein. They want to hide among civilians," he said.
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Men brace for 'beard patrols' in Iraq's IS-held Mosul
