UN: Islamic State Group Has Used 550 Families as Human Shields in Mosul

The UN Human Rights Office reports that the Islamic State group has taken 550 families from villages around Mosul hostage and has stationed them near its affiliated centers, likely using them as human shields. According to Reuters, Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, stated in a statement: "We are deeply concerned about reports that the Islamic State group is using citizens of Mosul and its surroundings as human shields against Iraqi forces' attacks and has stationed them near its affiliated centers." He added on Friday, October 30, that "this is a terrifying danger, as ISIS militants not only use these unfortunate people as human shields but also kill them instead of freeing them." The Iraqi army and Kurdish forces, along with a US-led international coalition, began extensive ground and air operations last week to reclaim Mosul from the Islamic State group, having liberated several hundred kilometers of surrounding areas. Reports indicate that these forces have now reached within 10 kilometers of Mosul. Ravina Shamdasani, a UN spokesperson, reported based on "reliable information" from local sources that 200 families in the village of Samalia were forcibly moved to Mosul on October 17. Additionally, 350 families were compelled to evacuate the village of Najafiya and move to the city on the same day. She added, "It appears that the reason for this displacement is to use them as human shields." The UN Human Rights Office is currently investigating unverified reports that ISIS has killed 40 residents of a village outside Mosul. Ms. Shamdasani declined to provide further details on this matter. Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein stated that Iraq must adhere to international laws when inspecting citizens leaving areas controlled by the Islamic State and that this should only be conducted by the army and police forces. He added, "We urge Iraqi authorities to take all necessary steps to prevent any retaliation by armed groups accompanying the country's security forces against citizens fleeing from ISIS." The UN had previously warned that one million people live in Mosul, and it is likely that hundreds of thousands will be displaced to escape the war's dangers, leading to a humanitarian crisis. Currently, a camp has been established in Nineveh province for the displaced from Mosul, which has over 60,000 tents, while it is expected that at least 200,000 people will be displaced.