Iraqi military rejects Amnesty report on Mosul ‘abuses’ as baseless

A senior Iraqi military official has rejected as “baseless” an Amnesty International report accusing government forces of human rights violations during the months-long battle to liberate Mosul from Daesh terrorists.

Iraq’s Joint Operations Command (JOC) spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Rasool defended on Wednesday the performance of Iraqi armed forces during the liberation operation, saying the Amnesty report is baseless, and does not reflect the realities on the ground in Mosul.

He said the Iraqi army used light and medium arms during the offensive in Mosul, and was careful in using heavy weaponry for fear of civilian lives.

During their advances, Iraqi forces would discover mutilated bodies scattered on the streets of Mosul, said the commander, stressing that they were appalled by the disturbing scenes in the city, which once served as Daesh’s main stronghold in the country.

SS