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ByLoriHinnant,Zeina Karam and Susannah George The Associated Press BEIRUT Facedwithacash shortage in its so-called ca- liphate, the Islamic State group has slashed salaries across the region, asked Raqqa residents to pay utility bills in black mar- ket American dollars, and is now releasing detainees for a price of $500 a person. The extremists who once bragged about minting their own currency are hav- ing a hard time meeting ex- penses, thanks to coalition airstrikes and other mea- sures that have eroded mil- lions from their finances since last fall. Having built up loyalty among militants with good salaries and hon- eymoon and baby bonuses, the group has stopped pro- viding even the smaller perks: free energy drinks and Snickers bars. Necessities are dwin- dling in its urban centers, leading to shortages and widespread inflation, ac- cording to exiles and those still suffering under its rule. Interviews gathered over several weeks included three exiles with networks of family and acquain- tances still in the group's stronghold in Raqqa, res- idents in Mosul, and an- alysts who say IS is turn- ing to alternative fund- ing streams, including in Libya. In Raqqa, the group's stronghold in Syria, sala- ries have been halved since December, electricity is ra- tioned, and prices for ba- sics are spiraling out of reach, according to people exiled from the city. "Not just the militants. Any civil servant, from the courts to the schools, they cut their salary by 50 per- cent," said a Raqqa activ- ist now living in the Turk- ish city of Gaziantep, who remains in close contact with his native city. But that apparently wasn't enough close the gap for a group that needs money to replace weapons lost in airstrikes and battles, and pays its fighters first and foremost. Those two ex- penses account for two- thirds of its budget, accord- ing to an estimate by Ay- menn Jawad al-Tamimi, a researcher with the Middle East Forum who sources Is- lamic State documents, Within the last two weeks, the extremist group started accepting only dol- lars for "tax" payments, water and electric bills, ac- cording to the Raqqa activ- ist, who asked to be identi- fied by his nom de guerre Abu Ahmad for his safety. "Everything is paid in dol- lars," he said. His account was bolstered by another ex-Raqqa resident, who, like Ahmad, also relies on communications with a network of family and ac- quaintances still in the city. Al-Tamimi came across a directive announcing the fighters' salary cuts in Raqqa: "On account of the exceptional circumstances the Islamic State is facing, it has been decided to re- duce the salaries that are paid to all mujahedeen by half, and it is not allowed for anyone to be exempted from this decision, what- ever his position." Those circumstances in- clude the dramatic drop in global prices for oil — once a key source of income — airstrikes that have tar- geted cash stores and oil infrastructure, supply line cuts, and crucially, the Iraqi government's deci- sion to stop paying civil servants in territory con- trolled by the extremists. A Russian-backed Syr- ian government offensive in Aleppo province, where IS controls major towns including Manbij, Jarab- lus and al-Bab, is also put- ting pressure on IS. Gov- ernment troops and allied militiamen have advanced toward the town, consid- ered an IS bastion, lead- ing many militants to send their families to Raqqa. An exile from al-Bab said low-level fighters there have begun to grum- ble, and townspeople have overheard Islamic State of- ficials discussing crippling airstrikes on oil infrastruc- ture in Syria and Iraq and the cutoff of supply lines and revenue sources. The resident, who asked only that his first name Ous- sama be used because he still has family in the city, said dozens of residents of al-Bab have fled, ignoring orders from the extremists. "You can sense the frus- tration, their morale is down," Oussama said of the fighters. A former Raqqa resident now living in Beirut said Syrians abroad are sending remittances in dollars to cover skyrocketing prices for vegetables and sugar. The resident, whose wife and baby still live in the city, did not want his name used for their safety. One of the other ex-residents, now living in Gaziantep, Turkey, said the road to Mosul was cut off late last year, and prices have risen swiftly — gas is up 25 percent, meat up nearly 70 percent, and sugar prices have doubled. In Iraq, where Islamic State has slowly been los- ing ground over the past year, the Iraqi government in September cut off sala- ries to government work- ers within territory con- trolled by the extremists, after months of wavering about the humanitarian costs paid by those trapped in the region. Iraqi officials estimate that Islamic State taxed the salaries at rates ranging from 20 to 50 per- cent, and analysts and the government now estimate a loss of $10 million mini- mum each month. Between the loss of that money — and the U.S.-led bombing of cash warehouses — Ameri- can officials are optimistic that the effect could dimin- ish Islamic State's wealth. MILITANTS ISIS faces budget crunch, killing perks and slashing salaries THEASSOCIATEDPRESSFILE Militants of the Islamic State group hold up their weapons and wave its flags on their vehicles in a convoy on a road leading to Iraq, in Raqqa, Syria. By Bassem Mroue and Philip Issa The Associated Press BEIRUT Turkey said Tues- day it is pressing for ground operations in Syria, hop- ing for the involvement of the U.S. and other allies as a force dominated by Kurd- ish fighters pushed through rebel lines and captured moreterritoryneartheTurk- ish border. In Damascus, the U.N. en- voy to Syria suggested that humanitarian aid would be allowedintoseveralbesieged areas Wednesday, calling it the "duty of the government of Syria." "Tomorrow we test this," StaffandeMisturasaidafter meeting with Syria's foreign minister. The U.N. later an- nounced the government of President Bashar Assad has approved access to seven such areas across the coun- try and that convoys would head out in the coming days. De Mistura has been try- ing to secure aid deliveries to improve the chances of restarting peace talks be- fore the end of February. But those efforts have been clouded by the intense fight- ing north of Aleppo, where various forces backed by re- gional and international ri- vals are clashing over a cru- cial strip of land linking Syr- ia's largest city to the border with Turkey. Syriangovernmenttroops and allied militias, backed by heavy Russian bom- bardment, are closing in on the area, hoping to seal off parts of Aleppo held by reb- els since 2012 in what would be a major blow to the op- position. Syria's state news agency SANA and opposi- tion activists said govern- ment forces have seized two more villages. U.S.-backed Kurdish forces, which had mainly battled the Islamic State group and remained largely neutral in the civil war, are advancing in the same region, fighting reb- els and other insurgents op- posed to Assad in a bid to ex- pand a nearby enclave. A Turkish official told reporters in Istanbul that his country is pushing for ground operations in Syria, hoping for the involvement of the U.S. and other allies against IS. "Without ground operations,itisimpossibleto stop the fighting in Syria," the official said, adding that Turkey has pressed the issue in recent discussions with the U.S. and other Western nations. But he ruled out the possibility of Turkey un- dertaking unilateral action or the prospect of a joint Saudi-Turkish venture with- outbroaderconsensusinthe U.S.-led coalition against IS. The official spoke on condi- tion of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to speak publicly on the issue. In Lebanon, the leader of Hezbollah said Turkey and Saudi Arabia are using the fightagainstISasa"pretext" tolaunchagroundoperation in Syria. Both countries are ready to start a regional and inter- national war because of de- feats suffered by rebels they support, said Sayyed Has- san Nasrallah, addressing supporters in Beirut via sat- ellite link from his hideout elsewhere in the city. Hez- bollah's fighters are in Syria, supporting Assad's forces. The main Kurdish mili- tia, known as the YPG, dom- inates the group known as the Syrian Democratic Forces, which also includes Arab fighters. The latest advances by the SDF have alarmed Ankara, which viewsSyria'sKurdswithsus- picion. Turkey is also a lead- ing backer of militants try- ing to overthrow Assad. SYRIA Turkey pushes case for ground operations as Kurds advance This could be your lucky day by helping a dog or cat find a loving home from... Paws & Claws ADOPT A PET TODAY Nala AdSp onsorship $ 25 Call Suzy at (530) 737-5056 TEHAMACOUNTYDEPARTMENT OF ANIMAL SERVICES 1830 Walnut Street P.O. Box 38 • Red Bluff, CA� 96080 (530) 527-3439 CORNING ANIMAL SHELTER 4312 Rawson Rd. 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