GENEVA: The Daesh group executed 741 civilians in the battle for the Iraqi city of Mosul, the UN said Thursday, accusing the jihadists of perpetrating 鈥渋nternational crimes鈥� during the nine-month military campaign.
A total of 2,521 civilians were killed, mostly by Daesh attacks, during the fight between Daesh and the internationally-backed Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) that ended in July, the UN rights office said in a report.
鈥淭hose responsible must answer for their heinous crimes,鈥� the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra鈥檃d Al Hussein, said in a statement.
Mosul, Iraq鈥檚 second city, was captured by Daesh in 2014 and became the capital of the group鈥檚 self-styled 鈥渃aliphate鈥� in the country.
Following Daesh鈥檚 defeat in the city, the rights office said it had compiled witness testimony documenting 鈥渕ass abductions of civilians, the use of thousands as human shields, the intentional shelling of civilian residences, and indiscriminate targeting of civilians trying to flee the city.鈥�
More than 800,000 people were displaced by the fighting, the report said.
The rights office also called for investigations into alleged violations committed by the ISF and their allies, including militia groups.
The report 鈥渞ecorded 461 civilian deaths as a result of airstrikes during the most intensive phase of the ISF-led offensive from 19 February,鈥� the UN said in a statement, noting that it was impossible to establish responsibility for the strikes 鈥渋n almost all cases.鈥�
The rights office urged the Iraqi government to invite the International Criminal Court to investigate the country鈥檚 situation 鈥渁s an immediate step.鈥�
鈥淏y prosecuting those responsible for 鈥榠nternational crimes鈥� in Mosul the Iraqi authorities would be sending a message to the people of Iraq who have suffered, no matter when or where, that justice is eventually delivered,鈥� the rights office said.