PHOTO:> Iraqi soldiers with a captured Islamic State flag in al-Shura, south of Mosul, October 30 (Zohra Bensemra/Reuters)
Amnesty International has said that Iraqi forces killed and tortured civilians south of Mosul, as the Kurdish-Iraqi offensive continued to close on the city held by the Islamic State.
Amnesty said “up to six” people were found dead last month in the Shura and Qayyara districts, south of Mosul.
“Men in federal police uniform have carried out multiple unlawful killings, apprehending and then deliberately killing in cold blood residents in villages south of Mosul,” said Lynn Maalouf of Amnesty’s Beirut office.
Human Rights Watch said at least 37 men suspected of affiliation with the Islamic State had been detained by Iraqi and Kurdish forces from checkpoints, villages, screening centers and camps for displaced people around Mosul and Hawija to the south.
Relatives said they do not know where most of the men were being held and have not been able to contact any of them.
The Iraqi Interior Ministry spokesman denied violations and said forces respect human rights and international law. A spokesman for the Kurdish Regional Government said any delays in informing families were limited and due to scarcity of resources.
“Nobody has been kept in unknown facilities. They are kept in identified facilities,” said Dindar Zebari.
The Mosul offensive is in its fourth week. The Iraqi army and Federal Police finally made a notable advance on the southern front last week, capturing the town of Hammam al-Alil, on the Tigris River about 15 km (9 miles) from Mosul.
Iraqi forces have moved much farther on the eastern front, entering the outskirts of Mosul, about 7 km (4 miles) from the city center. To the north, Kurdish peshmerga are trying to complete the takeover of the town of Bashiqa, vital for supply lines, about 12 km (7.5 miles) from Mosul.
Fight v. ISIS “Becoming a Nightmare”
The forces have faced stiff Islamic State resistance and the demands of urban warfare, meaning tanks are of little use amid ISIS snipers, suicide bombers, and fighters using tunnels.
“In Mosul, we have to advance inside residential areas, comb streets, clear houses from terrorists and deal with civilians. I’m afraid this job is too tough for us to handle,” said a colonel with an armored division which lost two T-72 tanks and another armored vehicle on Tuesday.
The officer said it was impossible to differentiate between civilians and fighters who melt in amongst them:
Our soldiers can’t recognize them until it’s too late, when the attacker either detonates his explosive vest or throws a grenade.
It’s becoming a nightmare and it’s nerve-wracking for the soldiers.
