Shia militias launch operation against IS in Western Mosul

MOSUL, Iraq (Kurdistan24) – Iraqi Shia militia Hashd al-Shaabi on Saturday revealed the beginning of an operation against the Islamic State (IS) in Western Mosul.

According to a Hashd al-Shaabi spokesman, thousands of fighters “started the operations this morning to clean up the hotbeds of [IS] in the western parts of Mosul.”

Mosul, the second-largest city in Iraq, has been under the control of IS since 2014 when the group emerged and seized swaths of territory in Syria and Iraq.

In their recent offensive, Hashd al-Shaabi said their plan was to liberate villages west of Mosul and reach the town of Tal Afar, Reuters reported.

Tal Afar is about 55 kilometers (35 miles) from Mosul where the Shia militia aim to block IS’ retreat into Syria.

Kurdish Peshmerga and Iraqi security forces began the operation to liberate Mosul on Oct. 17, and have since cleared over 30 villages controlled by IS surrounding the city.

Before the campaign began, there was controversy regarding the role Hashd al-Shaabi would play in freeing Mosul.

According to Reuters, Human rights groups have pointed to possible sectarian conflicts as the Shia militia captures more Sunni-majority areas.

A United Nations report in July revealed a list of human rights violations by the Shia militia against Sunni civilians in Falluja.

Moreover, Amnesty International reported the group was responsible for “serious human rights violations, including war crimes.”

Hashd al-Shaabi was formed in 2014 and report directly to Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi’s Shia-led government. The group is led by the Iranian Shia cleric Ayatollah Ali Sistani.

Editing by Ava Homa