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Baghdad / AFP
IS group fighters “summarily executed†13 civilians after villagers rose up against them at the start of the Iraqi army’s offensive to retake Mosul, Human Rights Watch said on Tuesday.
The killings took place in the villages of Al-Hud and Al-Lazzagah, 50 kilometres (30 miles) south of Mosul on October 17, the day government forces launched the massive operation to oust the extremists from the city.
“IS responded to the village uprising by unlawfully executing people captured in the uprising and civilians who weren’t involved,†Lama Fakih, deputy Middle East director at HRW, said in a statement.
“Security forces who capture IS fighters should properly investigate their participation in alleged war crimes like these,†she said.
In total, the IS fighters “summarily executed at least 13 people including two boys,†HRW said.
The report included the picture of one of the slain boys, a 13-year-old who had not been involved in the uprising, it said, citing his father Muhammad.
IS had captured Al-Hud and Al-Lazzagah in June 2014, with villagers saying they lived in constant fear of punishment, including death, for activities like smoking and using mobile phones, said HRW.
As Iraqi forces closed in on the morning of October 17, about 30 villagers attacked the etremists, killing 19 of them, said the New York-based watchdog.