Jihadi Group ISIS Publicly Torched Cigarettes and Booze in Syria

Members of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria — a jihadi group known as ISIS — were filmed publicly burning cigarette and alcohol stockpiles in the Syrian city of Raqqa on April 2. ISIS has a strong presence across northern and middle Syria, where it has instituted Sharia law and banned smoking and drinking alcohol.

ISIS is one of the most prominent Islamist groups fighting against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the country’s ongoing civil war. The group originated in Iraq around 2003 and is often referred to as the “al-Qaeda of Iraq.” It has controlled Raqqa for about six months.