Shia militias kidnap Sunnis, government takes preventative measures
700 civilians from the city of Falluja are still missing following the liberation.
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – Hashd al-Shaabi militias kidnapped a Sunni Arab family in the Jabara district, east of Diyala province.
Police department in Jabara told Kurdistan24 that a group of armed Shia militia kidnapped a man and his five sons on Monday night in Jabara's al-Jadida village.
The police source added that "The Shia militias came from Sleman Beg in Salahadin province kidnapping the father and his five children who are Sunni Arabs of the area."
Police revealed that it has been less than a month that Hashd al-Shaabi militias have started kidnapping Sunni Arab civilians of this area and they have previously abducted several others who were taken to Sleman Beg.
The Iraqi Dijla Operations Command announced in a press conference on Tuesday that “More troops will be deployed and police patrols and check points will increase on the main road between the Kurdistan Region and Diyala province to prevent further kidnapping in the area.”
Hashd al-Shaabi — one of the largest Shia militias in Iraq — was created by the top Shia cleric Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani after the collapse of the Iraqi army in June 2014. International and local rights NGOs accused some factions of the militia group of violating human rights, and killing and abducting Sunnis in the areas that were taken back from the Islamic State (IS) extremists.
Previously, Human Rights groups and the Iraqi officials raised concerns over the violations of rights by Hashd al-Shaabi during the Fallujah liberation.
More than 700 civilians from the city of Falluja who have been abducted by Shia militias are still missing.
HRW stated that it is the responsibility of the federal government of Iraq to protect civilians from human rights abuses.
“Iraqi military commanders should prevent militias from records of serious abuse taking part in planned military operations for the city of Mosul,” the report said.
In February 2016, Hashd al-Shaabi militiamen abducted 11 Kurds traveling through Kirkuk-Baghdad highway including three guards of the Iraqi president.
It is reported that 700 people from Fallujah are still missing.
The destiny of the kidnapped individuals is unclear.
Editing by Ava Homa
