Most feared policeman in the world: Jihadi in charge of religious police

• Hicham Chaib was a prominent member of Sharia4Belgium Islamist group
• 31-year-old acted as leader's bodyguard but left to join ISIS in 2013
• Chaib soon became a prominent figure in Syria, appearing in propaganda
• He is considered a major reason why there are more Belgium nationals fighting for ISIS than any other Western nation
• Chaib is now said to be leading ISIS' feared religious police in Raqqa 

A chilling new image has emerged of a Belgian jihadi who is understood to lead ISIS' feared religious police force - making him responsible for countless beheadings, crucifixions and amputations in Syria over the past year.

Hicham Chaib, 31, who goes by the nom de guerre Abu Haniefa, joined the terror group in March 2013 and has risen up the ranks to become one the terror group's most senior executioners.

Based in ISIS' de facto capital Raqqa, Chahib has appeared in dozens of sickening propaganda video releases and photographs, which have led to him becoming something of a poster boy for depraved Belgian extremists who follow his every move while he wages jihad.

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Feared: The latest photograph shows Belgian Hicham Chaib, 31 (centre) dressed in the all black uniform of ISIS' religious police force, which he is understood to lead in the group's de facto capital Raqqa

Encouraging children: Since joining ISIS in March 2013, Chaib has worked hard to raise his profile, appearing in a dozens of sickening propaganda video releases and photographs,

Sickening: Brutal murders are an everyday occurrence in ISIS de facto capital Raqqa, the majority of them ordered and organised by the terror group's religious police force

Horrific: This photograph shows British former rapper Abdel-Majed Abdel Bary, 23, holding a decapitated head while standing in Raqqa's central square. Raqqa is ISIS' major stronghold in Syria

Before joining ISIS, Chaib worked as a senior figure within Sharia4Belgium - a radical Islamist group that was branded a terror organisation by a judge who found 45 members guilty of terror-related offences in February. 

 

Hachim Chaib (right) has rapidly risen up the ISIS ranks - even being photographed alongside feared Anbar province commander, Abu Wahib (left)

Heavily-built Chaib is understood to have served as a personal bodyguard for the group's lead Fouad Belkacem - who was jailed for 12 years following February's trial. 

Chahib even served as co-leader of Sharia4Belgium when Belkacem was jailed for two years for incitement of hatred towards non-Muslims in Antwerp in June 2012.

The other two men who helped Chaib lead the group, Feisal Yamoun and Noureddine Abouallal, are both understood to have been killed fighting in Syria in recent years.

A year later Chaib and his wife Kaoutar Bioui fled to Syria to join ISIS, which had yet to declare itself a caliphate and was just one of a number of terror groups battling for power and territory.

Having become one of the first Westerners to join ISIS, Chaib positioned himself as a senior propagandist - using his Facebook page to encourage new recruits and starring in a large number of propaganda videos and photographs released by the then rapidly expanding terror group.

With Chaib being arguably the most prominent Belgian figure in ISIS during its rapid expansion last year, it is no stretch to say he is largely responsible for the fact Belgium has seen more nationals join ISIS' ranks than any other Western country.

With Chaib being arguably the most prominent Belgian figure in ISIS during its rapid expansion early last year, he is seen as a key reason why Belgium has more nationals in ISIS than any other Western country

Extremist: Hicham Chaib once worked as a bodyguard for Sharia4Belgium founder Fouad Belkacem (pictured) - who was jailed for 12 years in February terror-related offences

Armed: Hicham Chaib has rapidly risen up the ISIS ranks since joining the terror in March 2013

Over the past year, Chaib has rapidly risen up the ISIS ranks - even being photographed alongside the group's notorious commander of Iraq's Anbar province, Abu Wahib.

The majority of early Belgian recruits to the terror group are believed to have lived together in a large villa in Aleppo province, suggesting that in order to be photographed alongside Abu Wahib, Chaib was regularly travelling around the vast swathes of territory under the terror group's control.

When VICE reporter Medyan Dairieh was granted unprecedented access to make an extraordinary documentary on the terror group last August, the leader of ISIS' religious police force in Raqqa - known as the Hisbah - was a militant named Abu Obida.

Part three of the five part series focussed on the day to day activities of the force, providing insight into the sort of activities Chaib is now overseeing in Raqqa, according to respected Belgian journalist Guy Van Vlierden.

As well as the attention-grabbing savagery of public executions and amputations, the Hisbah prowl the streets of the capital interfering in every single aspect of the local population's lives.

No matter is too small for stop the feared police force intervening, whether its issuing harsh punishments for shopkeepers who make too much profit, or threatening women with prison because the material on their veil is not thick enough.

Militant: ChaIb (left) was pictured standing alongside the infamous blind jihadi Taymullah al-Somali (centre) last summer. Al-Somali is a Dutch national or Somali origin who famously joined ISIS early last year

Laughing jihadi: Having become one of the first Westerners to join ISIS, Chaib positioned himself as a senior propagandist - using his Facebook page to encourage new recruits from Belgium

Amateur footage of IS and Syrian Kurdish fighters for Hasaka

Details of Chaib's new role comes as ISIS fought fierce battles with Syria's armed forces in a bid to seize control of Hasakeh, a key provincial capital in the country's northeast.

'Fierce clashes continued Friday between regime forces and IS south of Hasakeh city. The regime is violently and intensely bombarding jihadist positions from the air,' the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

The Britain-based monitor said the regime was using barrel bombs - large containers packed with explosives - against jihadists edging towards the city, which is divided between Kurdish and government control.

Since their offensive began on May 30, IS fighters have advanced to the southern outskirts of Hasakeh using deadly suicide attacks and heavy mortar fire.

Citing a military source, Syria's state news agency SANA said the army had used 'aerial weapons... to destroy equipment belonging to the IS terrorists'.

The seven-day assault has killed at least 71 government loyalists and 59 extremists, including 11 who drove car bombs - IS's signature weapon - towards regime positions, the Observatory said.