The "Islamic State of Iraq and Syria" (ISIS) has started detaining males in eastern rural Deir Ezzor in order to force them to fight in its ranks, according to local activists.

The group's "Wilayat al-Khair" (Deir Ezzor province) on August 3rd circulated a notice calling for "general mandatory conscription", instructing all youth between the ages of 20 and 30 to report for sharia and military training.

The notice gave the youth one week to present themselves to the mobilisation registrar to fill out their paperwork.

On Sunday (August 13th), ISIS elements started arresting young men from rural Deir Ezzor villages and towns, including al-Ashara, al-Tayana, Sbeikhan, Shwait, al-Dwair and al-Quriya, said media activist Jameel al-Abed.

"The deadline the group had set for the youth to voluntarily turn themselves in to the conscription offices ended on Saturday," he told Diyaruna.

But ISIS elements did not make any arrests that day, he said, encouraging rumors that the group may rescind the decree in an attempt to trick the youth into not escaping the region.

Al-Abed said the residents of some towns, such as al-Tayana, had been informed that their area is not included in the compulsory conscription decree, only to find that the arrest campaigns were launched from their towns.

Residents flee Deir Ezzor

Rural Deir Ezzor residents are escaping in droves from areas controlled by ISIS to territory held by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in al-Hasakeh province, despite the dangerous routes involved, al-Abed said.

"Several deaths have been recorded, some among children, due to the extreme heat and scarcity of water," he said, adding that others were killed in explosions of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) planted by ISIS to deter escapes.

Smugglers have taken advantage of the current conditions and raised their fees to astronomical levels, he said.

Some smugglers have even abandoned families to their fate halfway through their escape journey, he added.