Islamic State fighters trapped in Mosul, Iraq, executed 40 civilians suspected of “treason and collaboration” and hung their bodies from flag poles, according to the United Nations human rights office.
“On Tuesday, ISIL (ISIS) reportedly shot and killed 40 civilians in Mosul after accusing them of ‘treason and collaboration,'” U.N. spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani said Friday. ISIS reportedly followed up the mass execution Wednesday by killing 20 more people at Ghabat Military Base in northern Mosul, hanging some of their bodies from poles after. The murdered civilians were accused of working with the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) currently assaulting Mosul, Iraq’s second largest city and the ISIS capital in Iraq.
ISIS atrocities continue to be discovered as ISF pushes toward the center of Mosul. The terrorist group continues to use the thousands of civilians trapped in Mosul as human shields against Operation Inherent Resolve coalition air strikes. ISF forces discovered a mass grave containing at least 100 corpses Monday as they entered the town of Hamam al-Alil. ISIS forces are also believed to have thrown bodies into a well and cement factory yard located in the town.
ISF’s assault of Mosul is in its fourth week. The operation saw significant early success, but slowed down in recent days. Pentagon officials said that many of the pauses in combat were intentional, although ISIS is known to be providing stronger resistance as ISF goes deeper into the city. The assault resumed in full-force Friday morning.
“After some days of calm, we launched a new attack this afternoon against the Karkukli neighborhood,” Mountadhar Salem, an officer in the Iraqi counter-terrorism forces, told Agence France-Presse.
ISIS typically reverts to guerrilla tactics as coalition forces take major population centers. The terrorist group is known to plant booby traps and increase suicide attacks during and after ISF retakes cities, the same is expected in Mosul, albeit on a much larger scale.
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