A series of bizarre photographs have emerged on Instagram showing men who have been caught trying to escape from northern Iraq wearing dresses, bras and make-up.
Another image showed the militant wearing a sort of metallic bra; alas his mustache gave away his real gender.
Arabic captions suggest the Instagram pictures were taken in the Baiji area of the country. Iraqi forces have fought a non-stop battle against ISIL around an oil refinery supported by American air strikes.
Iraqi Defense Minister Khaled al Obedi said the battle to recapture the key city of Tikrit could be a decisive turning point in the war.
ISIL militants are defending the area with roadside bombs and recurrent suicide attacks however; over 20,000 Iraqi troops continue to make progress.
