Islamic State Fighters Abduct 8,000 Families in Mosul
Reports suggest that the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da’esh) has been forcing tens of thousands of people from their homes in sub-districts around Mosul.
They include nearly 8,000 families the group abducted, since the operations to restore Iraqi Government control over Mosul began on 17 October, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said today.
“ISIL fighters are allegedly killing civilians who refuse to comply with ISIL’s instructions or who previously belonged to the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF), including 232 civilians who were shot to death last Wednesday,” Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson for OHCHR, told reporters in Geneva.
Earlier, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein had called for the protection of civilians. Zeid warned that the ISIS fighters are using civilians as human shields in Mosul.
[ Islamic State Terrorists Using Human Shields in Mosul: UN ]A large-scale military offensive is underway to retake the Iraqi city of Mosul from Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da’esh) fighters.
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) or Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) or Islamic State (IS) is a militant organization.
With a strong force of over 70,000 fighters under its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, ISIL is attacking different nations with the aim to set up a large Islamic State called the Caliphate. It is believed that now ISIS has a presence in nearly 30 countries of the world.
[ Also Visit: Gobal Terrorism Information Center ]
Ms. Shamdasani said that reports indicate at least 5,370 families were abducted by ISIL from Shura sub-district, another 160 families from al-Qayyarah sub-district, 150 families from Hamam al-Alil sub-district and 2,210 families from Nimrud sub-district of al-Hamdaniya district.
Forced out by gunpoint, or killed if they resist, these people are reportedly being moved to strategic places where ISIL fighters are located, she said noting that, according to information received, 60,000 persons are currently residing in Hamam al-Alil, an ISIL stronghold with a previous population of 23,000.
Of the 232 civilians reportedly shot to death on Wednesday, 190 were former ISF personnel, she said. They were killed at the al-Ghazlani military base in Mosul.
The other 42 civilians were reportedly shot in the head at the al-Izza military base after they refused to join ISIL, Ms. Shamdasani informed.
