ISIS uses 2,000 families in Iraq’s Fallujah as ‘human shields’
Civilians flee their homes to head to safer areas due to clashes
between Iraqi security forces and ISIS militants in the town of Hit in
Anbar province, Iraq April 12, 2016. (Reuters)
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English
Sunday, 8 May 2016
ISIS in Iraq has trapped around 2,000 families in two villages
south of a city in the western province of Anbar, and is using them as
human shields, local media reported the head of a police department as
saying on Saturday.
“The terrorist
organization ISIS has trapped around 2,000 families, most of the people
are women, children and elderly in Albu Hawa and Hasi in the northern
al-Amiriya district south of Fallujah,” Lieutenant Colonel Arif
al-Janabi, the head of the police district, told the local
Anbar News outlet.
ISIS also arrested dozens of young men from the two villages, Janabi added.
“ISIS
is using people of the two villages as human shields and not allowing
them to leave,” Janabi added, describing “the security forces and tribal
fighters” as being “ready to liberate these two villages and break the
siege.”
The city of Fallujah was seized by
ISIS in January 2014. With an estimated population of 90,000, it is the
militant group’s stronghold in Sunni-dominated Anbar.
Last month, the Iraqi government
approved aid to be delivered to people in Fallujah after a long siege.
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