Iraqis take revenge on Daesh members' families in Mosul

By Ahmed Qasim

NINEVEH, Iraq (AA) - Residents in town near Mosul where a mass grave was discovered have been carrying out reprisals against the families of suspected Daesh terrorists, an Iraqi army officer said Tuesday.

Col. Ahmed al-Jubouri, of the Nineveh Operations Command, said locals in Hamam al-Alil had torched around 20 houses thought to be occupied by Daesh members’ families.

“Those people were affected by Daesh’s terrorist acts,” he told Anadolu Agency. “They also expelled eight families who are close relatives of members of the terrorist group, asking them to immediately leave the district.”

On Monday, troops discovered the grave in Hamam al-Alil, around 30 kilometers (19 miles) south of Mosul, containing about 100 decapitated bodies. Daesh has carried out many mass killings in Iraq and Syria.

Meanwhile, Kurdish Peshmerga forces have discovered a tunnel network in Bashiqa, 12 kilometers (8 miles) northeast of Mosul, used to launch attacks on advanced troops.

Earlier Tuesday, the Peshmerga said they had “entirely liberated” Bashiqa.

The operation to retake Mosul, which Daesh captured in June 2014, was launched three weeks ago. According to the International Organization for Migration, more than 22,000 people have been displaced since the campaign began.