IS 'kills hundreds of civilians' in Mosul

A statement from the office of the United Nations human rights chief said Thursday the self-styled "Islamic State" (IS) group had killed hundreds of Iraqi civilians trying to flee Mosul.

The UN rights chief Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein had on Tuesday accused the militants of killing 163 civilians on June 1 in the city's al-Shifa neighborhood.

The Thursday statement adds two new allegations, including a May 26 incident where IS reportedly shot dead 27 people, including five children.

The UN's rights office said the jihadists slaughtered 41 civilians in the same neighborhood on June 3.

"Credible reports indicate that more than 231 civilians attempting to flee western Mosul have been killed since May 26, including at least 204 over three days last week alone," the statement said.

"Shooting children as they try to run to safety with their families – there are no words of condemnation strong enough for such despicable acts."

Iraqi forces retook eastern Mosul from IS in January and last month began a push to capture the remaining parts of the city. Rights groups and monitors say some 200,000 people are trapped in western Mosul.

There are also reports that several May 31 air strikes from the anti-IS coalition killed between 50 and 80 people in the IS-controlled Mosul neighborhood, Zanjili. Zeid said the UN was also investigating these killings.

The UN rights chief urged the coalition "to ensure that their operations comply fully with international humanitarian law and that all possible measures are taken to avoid the loss of civilian lives."

shs/jm (Reuters, AFP)