Shi’ite Militiamen Accused of More Crimes; 175 Killed across Iraq

Amnesty International is looking into 24 death sentences handed out on Wednesday to men accused of participating in the June 2014 “Speicher Massacre,” in which hundreds of military recruits were killed. A.I. and Human Rights Watch believe the men may be innocent victims of Iraq’s unfair court system.

Peshmerga forces accused Shi’ite militiamen of torturing a worker and beating several others last week after they stormed a factory in Tuz Khormato. The worker’s family tried to retaliate but killed three policemen accidentally. They warned the militia that their forces will leave the area if such operations continue, and they demanded the perpetrators be punished.

At least 175 were killed and 46 were wounded:

Eleven people were killed and 38 were wounded during a mortar attack in Falluja.

In Mosul, four children were killed when militants blew up a church. Six former army officers were executed.

Mortars struck the Habaniya air base, killing two soldiers and wounding seven more..

In Saqlawiya, 12 soldiers were killed in an ambush, while seven militants were killed in airstrikes.

Twenty militants were killed in Baiji, but their bodies were delivered to Mosul.

Seventeen militants were killed during operations in Garma.

An airstrike on Barwana left 18 militants dead.

Security forces killed 15 militants near Ramadi.

In Mazra’a and Tel Abu Jerad, 15 militants were killed.

Tribal fighters killed 14 militants in Qaim.

In Sinjar, an airstrike killed 11 militants.

Another 10 were killed in Husayba al-Sharqiya

An airstrike in Albu Diyab left five militants dead.

Five militants were killed in Falluja.

Author: Margaret Griffis

Margaret Griffis is a journalist from Miami Beach, Florida and has been covering Iraqi casualties for Antiwar.com since 2006.