UN reports fresh IS killings, air strike deaths in Mosul

The UN rights office said on Thursday it has credible reports that IS has killed more than 230 civilians trying to flee Iraq's western Mosul since May 26.

A child sleeps on his mother's shoulder after a perilous journey on foot to flee heavy fighting in their west Mosul neighborhood.

A child sleeps on his mother's shoulder after a perilous journey on foot to flee heavy fighting in their west Mosul neighborhood. Source: AAP

Between 50 to 80 more civilians were reportedly killed in a May 31 air strike on the IS-controlled Mosul neighbourhood of Zanjilly, said a statement from the office of United Nations human rights chief Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein. 

Zeid had on Tuesday accused the jihadists of killing 163 civilians on June 1 in Mosul's al-Shifa neighbourhood. 

Thursday's statement detailed two new allegations, including a May 26 incident where IS reportedly shot dead 27 people trying to escape al-Shifa, including five children. 

On June 3, the group allegedly killed another 41 civilians in the same neighbourhood as they ran towards Iraqi troops, according to the rights office. 

"Shooting children as they try to run to safety with their families – there are no words of condemnation strong enough for such despicable acts", Zeid said. 

Targeting civilians "who are not directly taking part in hostilities, are war crimes," the statement added. 

IS seized Mosul in 2014, and the operation that began last October to retake the city has displaced hundreds of thousands of people.

Iraqi forces have retaken all but a handful of areas around the Old City in western Mosul, but the jihadists are fighting in densely populated areas, and have used civilians as human shields at various points in the battle.

Several reports in recent weeks, including Pentagon investigations, have found that civilians have repeatedly been killed by air strikes from the anti-IS coalition supporting Iraqi troops. 

Zeid again urged the coalition "to ensure that their operations comply fully with international humanitarian law and that all possible measures are taken to avoid the loss of civilian lives," reiterating a plea he has made throughout the battle for Mosul.

Share
2 min read

Published

Source: AFP


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world