ISIS execute 23 civilians in western Mosul
Islamic State executed 23 civilians in western Mosul on Thursday for refusing to evacuate, and arrested a senior commander over treason.
Dijlah TV quoted eyewitnesses saying that an Islamic State firing squad shot dead 23 civilians from Ras al-Jada and Malaab areas in western Mosul for refusing to evacuate homes and move to other districts with the militants. The execution was carried out at Zanjili district in central Mosul, according to the witnesses.
Aslo in central Mosul, a trainer at Mosuls sports club and his wife were killed when a Kateyusha missile landed on their home in Deka Barka neighborhood, according to the channel.
Meanwhile, Alsumaria News quoted local sources saying the Islamic State arrested an elite commander of al-Farouq battalion and 20 other members in Tal Afar town, an IS stronghold west of Mosul. The source said those arrested were accused of breaching the pledge of allegiance to IS supreme leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
The source added that the arrest took place while the commander was arresting a leadership meeting.
Iraqi forces launched a major campaign in February to retaken western Mosul, having retaken the east in January. Iraqi commanders, aid groups and U.N bodies have accused IS of using civilians as human shields. Occasional news reports have highlighted internal divisions within IS ranks as the destiny of Baghdadi grew murkier.
Source: /Iraqi News
