Iraqi Special Forces launched a major operation against Qayara on Tuesday. Troops are working with armed residents within the city and say that many militants have already fled Qayara. Large sections of the town were easily recaptured.
Albu Bali has been recaptured.
The United Nations refugee agency UNHCR warned that hundreds of thousands of people will be displaced from Mosul when troops launch an operation to liberate the city.
The U.N. also accused Iraq of carrying out executions with giving the condemned proper trials. Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have also issued criticisms.
The Iraqi government does not release accurate casualty figures for security personnel, but the cemetery in the holy city of Najaf has reported that burials there increased by about 80 per day when the Islamic State invaded Iraq. Many of those were Shi’ite militiamen fighting against ISIS/Daesh. Their deaths go unreported in the media.
Analysts from Reuters have found that the United States has not acknowledged the true number of victims tortured or killed by Shi’ite militiamen in the recently liberated city of Fallujah. At least 700 Sunni men are still missing.
At least 189 people were killed and seven more wounded:
Near Hawija, a roadside bomb killed six people and wounded five more, who were all fleeing militant territory.
A sniper killed an army officer and wounded two soldiers at a checkpoint in Latifiya.
In Khalidiya Island, security forces killed 150 militants. A mass grave containing the bodies of 20 militants was found.
Using flamethrowers, militants executed six of their own in Tal Afar.
An airstrike killed five prominent militants in Hadar.
In Mosul, gunmen killed a militant known for recruiting children.
Scores of militants were killed in the Qayara operation, including a leader.
