The United Nations said the organization is investigating airstrikes that took place on May 31 in Mosul. At the time, it was unclear whether they occurred or which forces were behind what was described as a “carpet bombing.” About 50-80 people were killed; 47 deaths were previously recorded. The U.N. also reported hundreds more Islamic State killings in recent weeks.
Conditions at the Khazir displacement camp near Mosul are deteriorating with summer coming on. Uncomfortable heat, increasing numbers of insects and reptiles, and an outbreak of scabies are making residents miserable and ill.
The United States criticized the upcoming Kurdish independence referendum as a distraction from more important issues such as the war against the Islamic State militants. Germany expressed concern that the referendum could worsen sectarian tension. Meanwhile, the Iraqi Turkoman Front (ITF), an umbrella group of political parties, rejected the referendum.
At least 477 were killed and nine were wounded in recent violence:
In Mosul, at least 189 people were killed trying to flee the fighting over the last three days, excluding 15 women who were reported shot on Wednesday. The U.N. also reported that 27 were killed on May 26. Another 163 were killed on June 1. Those were previously unreported.
Mortars in Mosul’s Ekaidat killed five women and a child. In the Qulayat district mortars left one dead and three wounded. Iraqi airstrikes killed 43 civilians in Shifa. Thirty more civilians were killed during fighting in several neighbors. A female sniper was killed. A suicide bomber was shot dead.
Three civilians were killed in Baquba.
In Jalawla, a bomb killed three soldiers and wounded two more.
Two people were killed and two were wounded by a blast in Abu Saida.
Gunmen in Balad killed a civilian and wounded two others.
In Numaniya, a cleric was assassinated.
Gunmen killed an air force agent in Qara Tapa.
In the Hamrin Hills, security forces killed four militants.
A female militant was killed by a bomb in Hawija.
