Human Rights Watch said on Wednesday that the ISIL Takfiri group is “indiscriminately” attacking civilians who refused to retreat along with the terrorists in the Iraqi city of Mosul.

Iraqi forces launched a massive operation to retake the last ISIL-held city in Iraq more than two months ago, and have pushed the insurgents out of several neighborhoods on Mosul’s eastern side.

“Fighters with ISIL have indiscriminately attacked civilian areas in eastern Mosul with mortar rounds and explosives, and deliberately shot at fleeing residents,” HRW said.

“Residents said ISIL members told them in person, by radio, and over mosque loudspeakers that those who stayed behind were ‘unbelievers’ and therefore valid targets along with the Iraqi and coalition forces,” the rights group said.

But Iraqi and US-led coalition forces seeking to oust ISIL from Mosul are also responsible for endangering civilians, HRW said.

Some ISIL attacks occurred in places “where Iraqi military forces had positioned soldiers inside homes or on residential rooftops in densely populated areas,” it said.

Source: AFP