By Anas al-Bar | 2026-01-02

Informant recruitment within the "Islamic State of Iraq and Syria" (ISIS) is penetrating the group’s secrecy, exposing its activities and the fragility of its network.

The most vital details originate internally, coming from agents who appear to be loyal ISIS members, including high-ranking leaders only pretending allegiance.

Iraqi intelligence Captain Harith al-Sudani exemplified these agents.

He infiltrated ISIS in 2014 and thwarted about 30 car bombs before his death in 2017.

Information also flows from those who turned against the group out of fear of persecution, death, or for revenge.

Members revenge

"Members who were humiliated and abused by the terrorists are the most likely to cooperate and inform on their peers," said strategic analyst Tariq al-Shammari.

"They are driven by discontent and a strong desire for revenge," he told Al-Fassel.

ISIS engaged in "excessive cruelty, even against its own members," he added. "It is natural to find informants willing to betray the group and provide valuable information."

A disgruntled spy's information led to the tracking and killing of former ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi during a 2019 US raid.

This secret informant, whose identity has not been revealed, was part of al-Baghdadi's inner circle and sought revenge for the group's harsh treatment of his family.

"Al-Baghdadi's betrayal also came from prisoners and detainees who were very close to him," Al-Shammari noted.

Also in 2019, Iraqi intelligence revealed that al-Baghdadi's brother-in-law, Mohammed Ali Sajit, provided details on the leader's movements and hideouts during detention interrogation.

Confessions for protection

A wealth of information accumulated after Turkish authorities arrested al-Baghdadi's deputy, Ismail Alwan Al-Ithawi, in 2018 and transferred him to Iraqi intelligence.

"Al-Ithawi supplied investigators with extensive details on al-Baghdadi's years-long evasion tactics and his system for communicating with his inner circle of leaders," Al-Shammari said.

He underscored the critical "security benefits" yielded by these reports or confessions.

The Iraqi intelligence agencies shared these confessions with the United States, supplementing intelligence from al-Baghdadi's brother-in-law after his capture.

"Because the informants are high-ranking terrorists, they yield invaluable intelligence," Al-Shammari said. "After all, only a terrorist truly knows another terrorist."

It is highly likely that these individuals "confess voluntarily in the hope of getting protection and staying alive."

Al-Ithawi was ultimately sentenced to death in 2018.

Al-Shammari stressed that financial incentives are crucial tools for acquiring confidential information and dismantling complex networks.