© Goran Tomasevic / ReutersA newly displaced woman carries her child at a check point in Qayyara, east of Mosul, Iraq October 26, 2016.
Terrorist group Islamic State has forced tens of thousands of people, mostly women and children, into Mosul from surrounding areas to serve as human shields, the UN human rights office has said. It comes as Shiite militias announced an imminent attack on the city.
Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) is preparing for a major attack on its Iraqi stronghold by the Iraqi army and its allies, possibly including Shiite militias, Kurdish militias and Turkish forces, with the US-led coalition providing air support.
Ahead of the impending attack, the terrorists have taken steps to deter the offensive, including launching raids on communications channels, setting fire to oil and chemicals sites, and abducting people from areas around Mosul.On Wednesday alone, hardline Sunni militants killed at least 232 people around Mosul, who were resisting relocation, UN human rights spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani told a news briefing
"Many of them who refused to comply were shot on the spot," she said, citing reports corroborated by the UN that were "by no means comprehensive but indicative of violations."
Mosul is Iraq's second most populous city after the capital Baghdad. Located in a predominantly Sunni region in the north, it is estimated to have several million residents, even after IS purged non-Sunni minorities, killing them or forcing them to leave.
Comment: While the "partners" in the Mosul offensive bicker, the citizens suffer. No one seems to be sparing a thought for them. Meanwhile, the vast majority of the jihadists are high-tailing back to Syria through the convenient corridor left for them.