GENEVA: The Daesh group executed 741 civilians in the battle for the Iraqi city of Mosul, the UN said Thursday, accusing the jihadists of perpetrating “international crimes” during the nine-month military campaign.
A total of 2,521 civilians were killed, mostly by Daesh attacks, during the fight between Daesh and the internationally-backed Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) that ended in July, the UN rights office said in a report.
“Those responsible must answer for their heinous crimes,” the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, said in a statement.
Mosul, Iraq’s second city, was captured by Daesh in 2014 and became the capital of the group’s self-styled “caliphate” in the country.
Following Daesh’s defeat in the city, the rights office said it had compiled witness testimony documenting “mass abductions of civilians, the use of thousands as human shields, the intentional shelling of civilian residences, and indiscriminate targeting of civilians trying to flee the city.”
More than 800,000 people were displaced by the fighting, the report said.
The rights office also called for investigations into alleged violations committed by the ISF and their allies, including militia groups.
The report “recorded 461 civilian deaths as a result of airstrikes during the most intensive phase of the ISF-led offensive from 19 February,” the UN said in a statement, noting that it was impossible to establish responsibility for the strikes “in almost all cases.”
The rights office urged the Iraqi government to invite the International Criminal Court to investigate the country’s situation “as an immediate step.”
“By prosecuting those responsible for ‘international crimes’ in Mosul the Iraqi authorities would be sending a message to the people of Iraq who have suffered, no matter when or where, that justice is eventually delivered,” the rights office said.
Daesh executed 741 civilians during Mosul battle: UN
Daesh executed 741 civilians during Mosul battle: UN
Military coalition in Yemen condemns attack on commander’s convoy
- Al-Maliki also said the coalition is committed to supporting Yemeni security efforts and pursuing those involved in the attack and bringing them to justice
RIYADH: The Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen condemned on Wednesday an attack that targeted the convoy of a senior commander.
The attack in the Jaoula area of Lahj governorate targeted vehicles under the command of Brigadier General Hamdi Shukri, who heads the second division of the Giants Forces.
Coalition spokesman Major General Turki Al-Maliki said there were numerous deaths injuries and called the ambush “a criminal act that is contrary to all human and moral values.”
He said the coalition, which includes Saudi Arabia, will continue coordinating with the relevant authorities to ensure the security of citizens and maintain stability, Saudi Press Agency reported.
He called for people to work with the Yemeni government and military authorities to confront any sabotage attempts or terrorist operations targeting the security and stability of liberated governorates.
Al-Maliki also said the coalition is committed to supporting Yemeni security efforts and pursuing those involved in the attack and bringing them to justice.
