- The Media Line - https://themedialine.org -

Islamic State Using Human Shields in Mosul, Residents Say

As Kurdish forces capture outlying villages in their advance on the jihadist stronghold of Mosul, residents say that Islamic State fighters are using residents as human shields. They said that more than 100 families had tried to leave the southern and eastern suburbs they believe will be most exposed to the fighting, but Islamic State members were preventing people from fleeing Mosul, and even forcing them to stay in buildings likely to be targeted by coalition airstrikes. Coalition forces said they took a total of 20 villages that had been controlled by Islamic State east, southeast and south of Mosul. An estimated 1.5 million civilians still live in Mosul, and residents said they fear that Islamic State could use chemical weapons against coalition forces. Iraq’s Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said he is trying to arrange safe routes for civilians to leave the city. Syria has accused the US-led coalition of planning to allow Islamic State terrorists to flee across the border into Syria.