ARA News

ERBIL – Extremists of the Islamic State (ISIS) have burned 15 civilians to death in Iraqi Anbar province, local and official sources reported on Monday. 

Azal Obaid, member of the Anbar Provincial Council, said that ISIS has publicly burned 15 people to death because they tried to escape the city. 

“The terror group cordoned off the Fallujah city, and prevented civilians from leaving their homes,” a local source told ARA News on the phone, speaking on condition of anonymity. 

Obaid stressed that ISIS is using civilians as human shields “to protect its own militants inside the city of Fallujah”. 

“There is a military plan prepared by the leadership of the Iraqi army and local tribes to liberate the city of Fallujah. The plan cannot be disclosed to the press at the moment for security reasons,” according to the Iraqi official.

“Living within the city [Fallujah] under the terror group’s authority has become unbearable,” an eyewitness told ARA News. 

“Fallujah has been under suffocating blockade for several months,” he said. “People endure severe shortage of basic materials, amid deteriorating living conditions.”

Speaking to ARA News in Erbil, Kurdish journalist Jamshid Mahmoud said: “The international community should take serious measures to eliminate ISIS, otherwise we’ll continue to witness such brutal scenes.” 

“This barbaric group must be eliminated to stop the bloodshed in the war-torn countries of Syria and Iraq. Daesh [ISIS] has been involved in heinous crimes against innocent people.” 

Over the past two years, the Islamic State militants have reportedly detained, tortured and killed thousands of civilians in Syria and Iraq.

Reporting by: Salar Qasim

Source: ARA News