Iraq forces arrest 13 in E. Mosul amid reports of abuse

By Ahmed Qasim and Ibrahim Salih

NINEVEH, Iraq (AA) - Iraqi forces have rounded up 13 people in eastern Mosul for suspected links to the Daesh terrorist group amid complaints of abuses against civilian residents by security personnel.

Army-affiliated anti-terrorism forces have combed eastern Mosul in recent days, detaining seven suspects, National Security officer Saeed Adnan told Anadolu Agency on Monday.

"Another six suspected militants were arrested based on tipoffs from local residents," he said.

Mosul is currently the target of a wide-ranging army offensive aimed at recapturing the city -- once considered Iraq’s second largest in terms of population -- from Daesh.

Late last month, the Iraqi army announced the "total liberation" of eastern Mosul -- after three months of fighting -- from the grip of the terrorist group.

-Alleged abuses

Many local residents of eastern Mosul, however, now complain of abuses perpetrated by security forces and frequent crackdowns in "liberated" parts of the city.

Abu Ahmed, a 65-year-old resident of Mosul’s eastern Al-Bakr district, said scores of military vehicles -- none of which bear license plates -- were now patrolling the district while hundreds of masked fighters had been deployed in the area.

Declining to give his second name due to security concerns, Abu Ahmed said an army officer and three soldiers had recently raided his home, ordering his family to remain outside until it had been searched.

"When they left, we found our money and jewelry had been taken," he said.

"When I dared raise the issue with some soldiers, I was told to shut up and go home or risk being killed," he added.

Fatma Rashid, a resident of the same area, said her house, too, had been raided by soldiers while she was alone with her children.

"They ransacked the house in a way that suggested they were looking for money and jewelry -- not wanted militants," she said.

Daesh overran Mosul -- along with vast swathes of northern and western Iraq -- in 2014.