IS detain 850 people in Kirkuk as potential human shields: tribal leader

Hawija (IraqiNews.com)  Islamic State militants have evacuated 850 civilians and burned their residences at the group’s main stronghold in Kirkuk to use them as future human shields, said a tribal leader.

Anwar al-Assi, who leads a tribal force combating Islamic State militants in Hawija, said in a press statement on Wednesday that Islamic State members transferred the civilians to a main playfield preparing to use them as human shields in case security forces charge at the town.

Assi said he had received information that IS executed 36 men in two days, but did not give more details about the reason or location of the execution.

IS members have been in control over Hawija, southwest of Kirkuk, since 2014, when the group came to the scene, took over several Iraqi regions and proclaimed an Islamic “caliphate”.

Iraqi government forces, backed by a U.S.-led coalition and paramilitary troops, launched an offensive in October to retake the city of Mosul, Islamic State’s largest urban stronghold in Iraq. The Iraqi government is planning to aim at other IS havens across Iraq after Mosul.

Local officials in Hawija have repeatedly urged the government to hasten with the liberation of their town.

Since taking over Iraqi regions, Islamic State members have executed dozens of civilians, security members and many of its own members for various reasons ranging from collaboration with security forces to attempting to flee areas under the group’s control, most notably Hawija.