Multiple reports show ISIS ‘financial house’ has taken a beating. Arutz Sheva reports that “Islamic State revenues have dropped by around 30 percent since last year,” a figure coming from an IHS research group. Despite, a wide range of estimates largely based upon intelligence gatherings there is a consensus that the Islamic State is suffering from a reduction in oil production, loss of population and land, banking regulations, etc. Let’s take a look into some of these claims.

Oil and gas revenue have been a key component of the terrorist group’s funding strategy. One estimate states,

Revenue for the ultra-hardline Sunni Muslim group fell to $56 million a month in March from around $80 million a month in the middle of last year, the analysis company IHS said.

Daily oil output dropped to 21,000 barrels from 33,000 barrels over the same time frame, as production facilities suffered damage from air strikes carried out mainly by a US-led coalition.

The U.S. has also been working with Turkish, Kurdish and other forces to help cut off ISIS smuggling routes, diminishing ISIS oil revenue as well as rescuing human hostages and works of antiquity.

The terror group has been losing military strength and its territorial grip. ISIS military has seen the wiping out of 25,000 of its jihadists within only 20 months, mostly due to U.S. and coalition airstrikes. 600 fighters were killed in the last three weeks, putting duress on the terror groups leadership and morale. In addition, recent estimates show ISIS losing “about 22 percent of its territory in the past 15 months,” while losing millions of residents, a substantial tax base. Some analysts are now hinting at an implosion among the Islamic State’s population. Carol Choksy, CEO of IRAD Strategic Consulting and faculty member at Indiana University, alludes to how ISIS internal policies are leading to its’ demise: ISIS pays foreign fighters more than local (producing resentment), fails to provide basic necessities to its residents like stocking store shelves, enforces arbitrary laws, etc. Their foreign policy is even more flawed, belligerently picking more fights than they can handle.

Once known for looting millions of dollars from banks throughout Iraq and Syria, we have also seen a hampering on ISIS cash reserves. Coalition airstrikes have destroyed hundreds of millions of ISIS reserves and increased pressure has caused tighter regulations on Iraq’s National Bank as well as other Gulf state banks.

Renewed optimism over these steady gains against the terror group has left Daniel Pipes, President of the Middle East Forum, to predict the collapse of ISIS by the end of the year. With all of the hopefulness behind ISIS dwindling numbers one can be sure that these jihadist barbarians will not capitulate without a fight.