An Iraqi woman whose family members have been killed by Islamic State fighters claims she has taken revenge by beheading fighters and cooking their heads. 

Um Hanadi, 39, lost her second husband, father and brothers to Islamic State. But while she describes herself as a 'housewife', she has led a 70-person militia against Islamic State some 50 miles south of Mosul, terrorising them in the process.

"I fought them, I beheaded them, I cooked their heads, I burned their bodies," she told CNN. "I received threats from the top leadership of ISIS, including from Abu Bakr [al-Baghdadi] himself," she said. 

Photos on Um Hanadi's Facebook page appear to at least partly corroborate her claims, with one photo showing her holding what appears to be a severed head and others showing two human heads in a cooking pot. 

"Six times they tried to assassinate me. I have shrapnel in my head and legs, and my ribs were broken." 

Islamic State fighters are said to be frightened of being killed by a woman, as they believe this will prevent them from going to heaven.