The Islamic State (IS) is looking to lure in young recruits by offering a $1,500 bonus to its fighters for a honeymoon in its stronghold Syrian city of Raqqa.
Abu Bilal al-Homsi, a recently married ISIS fighter, revealed details about the honeymoon package in series of interviews with the Associated Press via Skype. He said that he met his Tunisian bride online and that the two chatted on the Internet for months before he asked her brother, who is also an ISIS fighter, for her hand in marriage.
"It has everything one would want for a wedding," 28-year-old al-Homsi said.
Giving a rare peek into the life of ISIS fighters, Homsi said: "It is not just fighting. There are institutions. There are civilians (that ISIS) is in charge of, and wide territories. It must help the immigrants marry. These are the components of a state and it must look after its subjects."
Homsi used the honeymoon bonus to build a home for his new bride. ISIS is now providing a stipend of $50 a month for him as well as a similar amount for his wife. The couple is now expecting a baby and will get $400 as a bonus for their newborn child, Express reported.
The terrorist group wants to create a new state, or "caliphate," made up of Muslims from around the world. In order to establish the caliphate, ISIS has set up a welfare system to help settle it's fighters.
Abu Ibrahim al-Raqqawi, a member of an anti-ISIS media collective in Raqqa, said that ISIS has taken over luxury houses and apartments that previously belonged to officials under Syrian President Bashar Assad, The Daily Mail reported.
"The city is stable, has all the services and all that is needed. It is not like rural areas the group controls," al-Raqqawi said. "Raqqa is now the New York of the caliphate."
