Jihadists
near the northern Iraqi city of Mosul have forced 1,500 families to
retreat alongside them as militants are pushed out by a joint
US-backed offensive. Aid organizations say they are concerned by the
"significant humanitarian consequences" of the military
operation.
Islamic
State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) terrorists forced civilians to
accompany them as they retreated from the town of Hammam al-Alil
towards Mosul airport, spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for
Human Rights Ravina Shamdasani announced Tuesday.
Along
with 1,500 families, IS kidnapped 295 former members of the Iraqi
Security Forces.
"People
forcibly moved or abducted, it appears, are either intended to be
used as human shields or – depending on their perceived
affiliations – killed," the UN official said, as cited by
Reuters.
With
more than a million people believed to be trapped in the Mosul area,
humanitarian organizations have warned that the US-led operation to
retake the city could lead to dire consequences for civilians.
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