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IS warns civilians of fleeing as operation launched to retake western Mosul area

 IS warns civilians of fleeing as operation launched to retake western Mosul area

An Iraqi woman carries a girl as she walks along a pontoon bridge over the Tigris river on the outskirts of Hammam al-Alil, south of Mosul, Iraq, April 17, 2017. REUTERS/Andres Martinez Casares

An Iraqi woman carries a girl as she walks along a pontoon bridge over the Tigris river on the outskirts of Hammam al-Alil, south of Mosul, Iraq, April 17, 2017. REUTERS/Andres Martinez Casares
Mosul (IraqiNews.com) Islamic State fighters have warned civilians they would be killed if they try to flee an area in western Mosul which Iraqi government and paramilitary troops invaded on Tuesday.

Al-Hashd al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilization Units) said on its website that IS militants deployed companies at the exits of al-Hadar region to block the way of civilians who would attempt to flee the region. It said fighters made the warning through megaphones, while others fled the area’s outskirts towards its center as Iraqi forces approached.

Al-Hashd said earlier it recaptured at least four villages around al-Hadar as operations launched to recapture the region from Islamic State members.

Mosul (google maps)
Mosul (google maps)

Iraqi forces recaptured eastern Mosul in January and aimed for the western region in February. Iraqi commanders say IS currently control less than seven percent of Iraqi territory, and only 30 percent of western Mosul.

Iraqi and U.S.-led coalition generals accuse IS of using civilians as human shields. The group has been regularly reported to kill civilians fleeing to security-held areas or collaborating with government troops.

The conflict in Mosul has so far displaced more than half a million civilians, with encounters in western Mosul alone leaving more than 350.000 homeless.

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