Abuse allegations pile up against Iraqi Shiite militia as forces near ISIL-held Fallujah

Among the abuses outlined were summary executions of civilians, beatings of detainees, disappearances and the mutilation of corpses, according to the latest Human Right Watch report.

Iraqi Shiite militia from a Popular Mobilisation Unit use mobile artillery near the city of Fallujah on May 23, 2016, as part of a major assault to retake the city from IISIL. Human Rights Watch said it has received 'credible allegations' of abuses committed by the militia forces during their for Fallujah. Ahmad Al Rubaye/AFP PhotoShow less

BEIRUT // As Iraqi special forces troops backed by primarily Shiite militias continue their push on the ISIL-held city of Fallujah, there are growing allegations that pro-government forces are committing atrocities and war crimes in the offensive.

On Thursday, Human Rights Watch said it had received “credible allegations” of abuses committed by pro-government forces during their more than two-week-old push for Fallujah in the western province of Anbar. Among the abuses outlined were summary executions of civilians, beatings of detainees, disappearances and the mutilation of corpses.

The rights group’s statement comes two days after the United Nations said there were “extremely distressing, credible reports” of men and boys executed and abused by pro-government forces after fleeing Fallujah.

The allegations underline the unease over the role of Iraq’s Popular Mobilisation Units (Hashed Al Shaabi) – a large grouping of militias, many of which are Shiite and backed by Iran – in the fight for Fallujah.

Multiple sources, including Anbar government officials, told Human Rights Watch of an incident in early June where Iraqi federal police and fighters from the Popular Mobilisation Units summarily executed more than a dozen civilians from a tribe in the village of Sajar, north of Fallujah.

Eyewitnesses also spoke of a group of hundreds of released detainees gathered at a hospital in Amiriyat Fallujah – which lies south of the city – who showed signs that they had been beaten and tortured at the hands of the Popular Mobilisation Units. An Anbar province official told the group that detainees showed signs of rape, burns and knife cuts in addition to bruising from beatings.

The rights watchdog also cited allegations of militiamen from the Popular Mobilisation Units opening fire on civilians fleeing fighting – a charge that has also been levied frequently against ISIL in recent days.

US-trained Iraqi special forces have taken the lead in campaigns against many ISIL positions across Anbar province, including in the Fallujah operation. But they represent an offensive force, not one designed to hold territory.

Accused of war crimes in Fallujah and a number of other operations in the fight against ISIL, the Popular Mobilisation Units have a more tarnished reputation and are seen by many as a sectarian force more bent on revenge than unity.

The current battle plan for Fallujah does not involve the Popular Mobilisation Units entering the city. As their presence inside the city could likely raise animosity from residents – and perhaps result in even more atrocities being carried out by militiamen – the militias are instead supposed to focus on securing the countryside outside Fallujah and cutting off any ISIL escape paths and reinforcement routes.

Meanwhile, Sunni tribal fighters who are tailing special forces in the city will be tasked with holding territory once the special forces have moved on, a senior Iraqi government official told Reuters.

Despite the government’s intentions to keep the Popular Mobilisation Units out of Fallujah, however, some militias have said they plan to enter the city if the battle drags on.

Earlier this week Iraqi prime minister Haider Al Abadi ordered the formation of a committee to investigate allegations of misconduct by pro-government forces. He pledged to punish anybody responsible of misconduct, but called such incidents “isolated”.

While defeating ISIL's Iraq strongholds is an increasingly reachable goal for the government, ensuring peace and reintegrating an already disaffected and distrustful Sunni population in places such as Anbar is more distant. Efforts to bring Sunni populations in towns liberated by ISIL back into the fold are likely to be complicated by the involvement of heavy-handed Shiite militias in the fights to defeat the extremist group.

Speaking to the Iraqi Kurdish news service Rudaw, former governor of Mosul Atheel Nujaifi spelt out the unease that many residents of Sunni-majority cities like Fallujah and Mosul feel towards the pro-government forces.

“They think if Hashed Al Shaabi Shiite militias come to Mosul, they will avenge and torture them,” he said. “Possibly, some will fight alongside ISIS when it comes to the choice between ISIS and Hashed Al Shaabi.”

Referring to alleged abuses against Sunni civilians by pro-government forces involved in the Fallujah offensive, and general feelings among Iraqi Sunnis that their community is marginalised by a Shiite-dominated government, Mr Nujaifi said: “If they (the government) do not take these matters into account, there will be a significant amount of violence in Sunni areas after ISIS is gone.”