15 decomposed bodies found in southern Mosul well

Nineveh (IraqiNews.com) Iraqi security forces found on Sunday 15 decomposed bodies of civilians strewn inside a water well south of Mosul, presumably executed by Islamic State militants, local officials said.

Head of the Shura district council, Khaled al-Gar, said in a statement that the bodies were found at a water well a Saf al-Tout, adding that security forces and concerned authorities were working to identify the dead civilians. He said initial information suggest they were executed by ISIS.

Shura had been recaptured by Iraqi joint forces late November.

Since taking over Mosul and several other Iraqi cities in 2014, ISIS has been notorious for heinous executions of civilians for either failing to comply with their extremist religious views or collaborating with security authorities.

Several mass graves have been discovered as Iraqi forces cleared several villages around the city center since October, when the government announced the launch of operations to retake the city.

Sources said Saturday the group executed seven people who declined to abandon their homes to give space to militants fighting Iraqi forces.