Militants
from the Islamic State lined up 30 Sunni men in a town west of Baghdad
and shot them dead this morning, an Iraqi official and residents said.
The
slayings took place on a main street in al-Bakir district in the town
of Hit, which has been the scene of intense fighting by jihadis and
local resistance groups in recent weeks.
It
is understood the murdered men were mainly local tribal leaders who had
allied with the Iraqi government and were helping to organise anti-ISIS
operations in the embattled town.
WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT
Sickening: ISIS militants lined up 30 Sunni men in a town west of Baghdad and shot them dead this morning
Massacre: Young men use mobile phones to take pictures of the dead bodies inside Hit this afternoon
Grisly: The Islamic State extremists are understoog to have lined the men up and shot them dead witht rifles
The
militants first paraded the men through town, shouting through
loudspeakers that the captured men were apostates who fought against
them, residents said.
The extremists then lined up the men and shot them dead with assault rifles, residents said.
A photograph showed a line of the men's bodies by a small pool of blood as onlookers walked by.
Anbar
provincial council chairman, Sabah Karhout, said the Sunnis killed were
tribal fighters allied with the government and members of the security
forces.
The
men were captured when ISIS terrorists overran the town, which sits on
the Euphrates river and is located about 85 miles west of the Iraqi
capital.
Karhout
called the slayings 'a crime against humanity' and demanded more
international support for the Sunni tribes fighting the militants in
Anbar province.
Tribal fighters take part in an intensive security deployment against Islamic State militants in Haditha, Iraq
Tribal forces loyal to the Iraqi government carry out exercises in preparation for clashes with ISIS
Iraqi tribal forces rehearse anti-Islamic State military exercises near the town of Haditha
Iraq
is in its worst crisis since the 2011 withdrawal of U.S. troops as
Sunni militant groups led by ISIS seized a third of the country.
In
one lightning offensive over the summer, Iraq's U.S.-trained army and
security forces melted away as the extremists advanced and captured key
cities and towns in country's north.
In
Iraq and along with areas in eastern Syria, the militants have declared
a self-styled caliphate and imposed their own harsh interpretation of
Shariah law.
They
also have targeted the country's religious minorities, including
Christians and others, killing hundreds and forcing hundreds of
thousands to leave their homes.
An Iraqi tribal fighter uses binoculars to hunt for ISIS militants near Haditha in Iraq
Fightback: Iraq is in its worst crisis
since the 2011 withdrawal of U.S. troops as Sunni militant groups led
by the Islamic State seized a third of the country
Tribal troops loyal to the government take part in military exercises during another day of violence in Iraq
A U.S.-led coalition has been targeting Islamic State extremists with airstrikes.
U.S.
Central Command said the coalition launched six airstrikes in Iraq over
yesterday and this morning using jet fighters and drones, hitting
targets near Fallujah and Sinjar.
In
other violence today, police said a roadside bomb exploded near an army
patrol in a town just south of Baghdad, killing three soldiers and
wounding seven.
A
later bomb blast on a commercial street in Baghdad's eastern district
of Ur killed two people and wounded eight, police said. Medical
officials confirmed the casualties.
All
officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not
authorized to speak to journalists, while the residents of Hit requested
their names not be used out of fears of reprisal.
No comments:
Post a Comment