HRW: Iraqi mobilization forces detained, tortured men in Mosul
| How odd. They aren't supposed to be in Mosul at all, but clearing villages around Mosul for exactly this reason. |
“Human Rights Watch interviewed three men from al-Hadar, a village 90 kilometers southwest of west Mosul, who were detained by the Popular Mobilization Forces (known as the PMF or Hashd al-Sha’abi) and two local officials who had knowledge of the detention operations in the area,” said the organization. “The men said the fighters detained them as they fled their homes because of the fighting, and held them for up to 15 days in a school building and in one case a home in an area solely under PMF control,” it added.
HRW revealed that, in two cases, interrogators “ beat them with thick metal cables, before releasing them and a small number of other detainees”.
“Given the previous track records of PMF abuse in the area of screening and detaining local men, Baghdad should treat these findings with the gravest concern,” said Lama Fakih, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. “Authorities should do all in their power to ensure that families fleeing the fighting around Mosul are able to get to safety, not tortured in secret facilities.”
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has regularly and ardently defended mobilization forces against recurrent accusations of human rights abuses, in one occasion threatening to “cut the hands” of whoever insults the force.
Mobilization forces, an alliance of more than 60 Shia militias with presumed backing from Iran, were formed in 2014 in line with an edict from the country’s top Shia clergy to combat Sunni extremist Islamic State fighters. The forces won official recognition as a national force late 2016.
Police shell IS locations in Mosul’s Old City preparing for decisive invasion
Mosul (IraqiNews.com) Iraqi Federal Police forces pounded Islamic State locations in western Mosul’s Old City on Monday preparing for the invasion of the group’s last bastion in that region.
The service’s commander, Lt. Gen. Shaker Jawdat, said in a press statement that police used heavy artillery and Grad rockets, backed by drones, to strike dozens of targets including command centers, supply stores, artillery and transportation vehicles belonging to the group.
Deputy Federal Police commander, Maj. Gen Jaafar al-Battat, was quoted Sunday saying in statements that the density of the civilian population in the Old City had obliged the delay in the invasion until districts overlooking it from the northwest were retaken.
IS members burn civilian vehicles in Mosul’s al-Shifa, evacuate to Old City
Mosul (IraqiNews.com) Islamic State members are burning civilians-owned vehicles in western Mosul to blur vision for assaulting fighter jets as the group moves to its last refuge at the Old City area.
Alforat.info quoted sources saying the militants at al-Shifa district, one of the last four districts remaining under their control in western Mosul, had begun to set fire to vehicles to create a smokescreen against fighter jets pounding the group’s locations near the Old City. The sources added that the group began evacuating civilians at gunpoint towards the Old City.
Two civilians killed by mortar missile, IED blast in western Mosul
Mosul (IraqiNews.com) Two civilians were killed on Monday by a mortar missile and a bomb blast in western Mosul district, according to a security source and local residents.
Speaking to Shafaaq News, the residents said a civilian was killed as Islamic State militants fired a mortar missile on the unliberated parts of Hawi al-Kanisa region.
Meanwhile, the source said another civilian “was killed as IS blew up an IED when the civilian attempted escaping toward the Iraqi troops in Hawi al-Kanisa.”
“Iraqi troops are in the process of completing the liberation of Hawi al-Kanisa, west of Mosul,” the source added.
Iraqi forces retake western Mosul’s al-Najjar district, move closer to last IS haven
Mosul (IraqiNews.com) Iraqi government forces took over al-Najjar district in western Mosul on Monday, the Defense Ministry War Media Cell said as troops moved one more step towards the Islamic State-held Old City.
The media outlet said Iraqi forces recaptured the district and raised Iraqi flags above its buildings. Al-Najjar was one of a handful of remaining districts Iraqi forces are battling IS in to pave the way towards the ancient Old City, the highly prized target from where IS supreme leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi proclaimed an “Islamic Caliphate” over large parts of Iraq and neighboring Syria.
Airstrike leaves eleven Islamic State militants killed in Baaj, western Mosul
Mosul (IraqiNews.com) Eleven Islamic State militants were killed in an airstrike on Baaj town, in western Mosul, the War Media Cell reported on Monday.
In a statement, the WMC said, “Iraqi fighter jets launched several airstrikes on Baaj, depending on intelligence information.”
“The airstrikes left a fuel store for IS fighters completely destroyed and two members killed,” the statement added.
Moreover, the jets “destroyed the so-called hisbah (vigilantism) office and killed nine other militants, including two Arabs. A weapon stash inside the office was also destroyed,” the media service added.
Seven militants killed in western Mosul airstrike, bridge installed for civilians evacuation
Mosul (IraqiNews.com) Seven Islamic State militants were killed Monday when a drone from the U.S.-led coalition targeted their location in western Mosul.
Air force lieutenant Yazan Abdul-Kafi told Rudaw network that the drone pounded a house in Zanjili district which militants occupied. The strike killed all seven and destroyed their truck.
Zanjili is one of the few remaining districts Iraqi forces are sweeping through on their way to the Old City, Islamic State’s last bastion in Mosul.
Meanwhile, Iraqi forces continued preparations to install a floating bridge linking western Mosul with the eastern side. Lt. Abdul-Salam al-Jubouri, from the Iraqi army, told Rudawy the bridge could hopefully facilitate troops movement and the transfer of refugees evacuated from the west to the east.
The five bridges linking Mosul’s flanks above the Tigris River had been destroyed in airstrikes late last year to prevent IS militants from escaping to the west as Iraqi forces retook the eastern region.
Gunmen abduct Iraqi official in Nimrud, east of Mosul
Mosul (IraqiNews.com) Unknown gunmen kidnapped Monday head of Nimrud neighborhood, east of Mosul, along with two others to unknown destination, according to a security source.
“Unknown gunmen attacked house of Nimrud neighborhood chief Khazaal Theyab al-Duleimi,” the source told Shafaaq News.
The kidnappers took Duleimi, along with two other officials from the neighborhood called Mohamed Ahmed al-Duleimi and Youness Ismail al-Duleimi to unknown destination, the source added.
Nimrud was declared to be fully liberated in November.