Three Chinese nationals who were accused of being traitors to Islamic State in Iraq and Syria had been executed, an official tabloid paper of China's Communist Party reported on Thursday.

Quoting an unidentified Kurdish Iraqi security officer, the paper said one of the Chinese was executed five months ago after he tried leaving Islamic State to study at a college in Turkey.  The two others were beheaded two months ago together with 11 others from several countries, the paper added.

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Islamic State militants beheaded two Japanese hostages after Tokyo ruled out paying a ransom or pursue a prisoner trade for them. The militants also burned alive a Jordanian pilot. However, the Islamic State did not make any videos or demands related to Chinese nationals. At a regular media briefing on Thursday, China's Foreign Ministry declined to comment on the killed Chinese fighters.

Beijing has been trying to contain an exodus of citizens leaving China for neighboring countries then make their way to Turkey. Dozens of Chinese - most of them Muslim Uighurs from Xinjiang - were nabbed trying to slip past borders into neighboring countries such as Vietnam and Malaysia without passports.

China told authorities in transit countries that these Chinese citizens plan to fight for the 'holy war' of the Islamic State and probably spill the conflict into Xinjiang.

A number of Uighur migrants in Turkey told media they paid thousands of dollars to smugglers so they can escape China where they are persecuted and discriminated.

Last month, the state-run Global Times reported that around ten Turkish citizens being held in Shanghai were charged for trying to help nine Chinese move out of China on counterfeit passports. The ten are scheduled to face a court this month.