ISIL Takfiri militants have reportedly buried dozens of its own militants alive after they refused to fight and fled the battlefield in the face of the Iraqi forces.

ISIL Takfiri militants have  reportedly buried dozens of its own militants alive after they refused to fight and fled the battlefield in the face of the Iraqi government’s push to retake ground in northern province of Nineveh.

The overall number of militants who have been executed remains ambiguous.

AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA) is reporting that 35 militants were killed, while Iraqi News is reporting that ISIL buried 45 of its members alive on charges of fleeing the battlefield.

The executions took place on the outskirts of Qayyarah, about 35 miles (60 kilometers) south of the militant-held city of Mosul, an anonymous provincial source told ABNA.

According to reports, those who were buried alive were accused of fleeing clashes with government forces in the village of Bashir, just south of the oil-rich city of Kirkuk.

Another source confirmed the slaying to IraqiNews.com, saying that “ISIL had buried its members, who escaped from al-Bashir battles, inside one grave.”

According to Arabic language media, on Monday ISIL command also shot and killed dozens of its militants in the village of al-Hadar south of Mosul – likewise for escaping from battle in Anbar province.

The murder of ISIL fighters by its own command seems to show an increased morale deterioration within its ranks as desertions become widespread, RT reported.

The Takfiri group currently suffers from a shortage of manpower and financial resources due to the intensified airstrikes and ground attacks by anti-terror forces in both Iraq and Syria.