Shocking photographs showing the bloody beheading of four alleged spies in Iraq have been released by Islamic State . The images , given the disturbing title 'Harvesting of Spies ' , were taken in the Iraqi province of Salahuddin and published on social media . According to the captions , the four men were accused of being spies for the Baghdad government and had been condemned to death by an Islamic court . Depraved : The images of the execution were taken in the Iraqi province of Salahuddin and published on social media . Unusually for an ISIS public execution , no residents appear to have been allowed to witness the killings , despite them being carried out in a public place . Kneeling in matching black jumpsuits , the four alleged spies are shown with their hands tied behind their backs . ISIS fighters , three with their faces covered with balaclavas and another wearing a baseball cap , are pictured posing behind their victims with sharp knives . An ISIS official , carrying a machine gun and with his index finger pointing to the sky , is shown coordinating the execution . Dressed in a long tunic and wearing a head scarf , the man appears to be a local ISIS governor or judge . The bearded official steps back and at his command , the four prisoners are beheaded on the tarmac road . Alleged spies : The four men were accused of being spies for the Baghdad government and had been condemned to death by an Islamic court . Kneeling in matching black jumpsuits , the four alleged spies are shown with their hands tied behind their backs . Unusually for a public ISIS execution , no residents seem to have been allowed to witness the killings , despite it being carried out in a public place . The final two photos - too graphic to publish - show the severed heads of the victims . Just last week , footage was released of nine men being executed by ISIS for allegedly being spies . Each man was forced to give interview before their murder in which they admit to spying on the terror group 's location , movement and armament . All nine of them - blindfolded with hands bound behind their backs - are then escorted outside by masked terrorists who eventually instruct them to kneel and place handguns to their heads . Senseless : Last week , ISIS released footage of nine men being executed for allegedly spying on the terrorists . Forced confessions ? Before their deaths , each man claims responsibility for spying on ISIS , although it is unknown whether they are speaking under duress . They pull the triggers without hesitation , sending their victims jerking forward until their limp bodies hit the dusty ground . The masked ISIS commander who introduces the senseless propaganda video says the men 'were sentenced to death for betraying the religion of Allah ' . The graphic footage , filmed in an unknown location in the Middle East , ultimately shows the deceased captives resting perfectly still in a shallow pool of blood . It was the second video of an ISIS execution to surface last week following the brutal mass murder of eight 'informers ' . The terror group justified the killings as vengeance for the military operations against them in Syria and Iraq . Murdered : Militants claim the eight men were informers , engaged in military operations against ISIS .
WARNING : GRAPHIC CONTENT . Photographs of the execution of four alleged spies in Iraq released by ISIS . Men accused of spying for Baghdad government and condemned to death . The images , published on social media , show the men being decapitated . Follows release of videos of execution of 'spies ' and 'informers ' last week .