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Their faces and torsos smeared with dirt, a handful of Shiite Muslims crawl along desert sand under the watchful nose of their superior's rifles. It is one of many gruelling drills they will endure after joining the Iraqi Army in its fight against bloodthirsty ISIS fanatics wreaking terror across the country. In the Najaf desert south of Baghdad, one group of volunteers were seen jumping through pits of fire and hurling themselves from sand dunes as part of the training. Scroll down for video. A group of Shiite men crawl through sand in the Najaf desert, south of Baghdad, after joining the Iraqi Military. The men are among hundreds who  joined the military after clerics pleaded for worshippers to volunteer. The men are among hundreds to have signed up to the military after answering a plea from Iraq's most senior Shiite cleric last year. In June, grand ayatollah Ali al-Sistani pleaded with youngsters to volunteer their services in the wake of crippling attacks against the religion by ISIS fighters. Hundreds flocked to military centres across Baghdad, with Iraqi Army officials confident the boost in soldiers would help regain crucial swathes of territory. Since then extremists have faced increased opposition, fighting off Kurdish militias as well as the the army all the while under the threat of airstrike by US and UK led coalitions. Over the weekend 26 strikes were carried out across Iraq and eight in Syria by US forces as part of the ongoing campaign. Mosul, the country's second largest city and an ISIS stronghold, is primed for retaking, it was claimed earlier this week, with residents exasperated with life under the rule of fanatics. According to the former mayor of the neighbouring town of Tel Afar, civilians are 'ready' to join the Iraqi Army in its campaign to take back control of the city. ISIS militants are thought to control around a third of Iraq despite a sustained campaign of airstrikes against fanatics. The Shiite men join hundreds on the front line battling against fanatics, with Kurdish forces in the north also waging war against ISIS militants. Last year Iraqi Army officials said an increase in the number of men signing up to the army would help the country in its fight against terror. In Sinjar, one of the most heated patches of conflict, Kurdish forces fought off extremists' unrelenting gunfire and strikes after months of battle. The town's Yazidi population was all but obliterated last year in a humanitarian crisis which prompted UN intervention. While IS fighters have been driven out of the region, Kurdish troops remain under the threat of sniper fire, experts have warned. In Syria however, militiamen and women were filmed celebrating after defeating ISIS militants in the fight for Kobane. Fighters speaking on behalf of extremists admitted they had been overpowered by Kurdish forces following months of bloodshed. It is the latest in a string of blows to the fanatical regime which has also murdered Western and Japanese journalists and aid workers in the past year. ISIS has lost control of crucial swathes of territory including Kobane in Syria. Above, a fanatic waves the group's flag through the streets of Raqqa in Syria.

Highlights:
The men are among hundreds to have recently joined the Iraqi Army. Military is in constant battle with ISIS which controls one third of country. Crucial swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria regained from fanatics. A US-led coalition has seen hundreds of air strikes launched in region.