Kurdish commander: ISIS militants among 3,000 who have fled Mosul since January
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Islamic State (ISIS) recruits were among some 3,000 people who have fled Mosul since the beginning of this year, a Peshmerga commander said, as an anticipated offensive to liberate the city from the jihadis is reportedly gathering pace.
“They flee as the Mosul operation is getting close,” Aras Haso Mirkhan, deputy commander of the Peshmerga forces at the Makhmour-Gwer front south of Erbil, told Rudaw on Monday.
“Some days 200 people surrender to the Peshmerga forces,” he revealed, saying most are people who are either fed up with life in ISIS-controlled territories or afraid of the coming offensive, which military officials have warned could result in large civilian casualties and a humanitarian disaster.
“Some 3,000 people, including ISIS militants have fled from Mosul and its outskirts and reached Peshmerga lines since the beginning of this year,” Mirkhan said.
An Iraqi man who escaped from Mosul last month told Rudaw that women are forced to wear the hijab – the Islamic veil – and there are women among the militants who carry out the punishments against violators.
Hundreds of Iraqi soldiers and police officers have been executed by ISIS since it took over Mosul in June 2014, Mirkhan and other sources say.
"Most of them are those who used to work for the Iraqi forces and other government offices," Mirkhan said. "They repented and lived under ISIS, but did not safe and fled from those areas,” he explained.
“We usually do investigate those people who escape and come to us,” Mirkhan said. If we know they were not ISIS they are settled in refugee camps, while others are placed under investigation,” he added.
Although there has been no indication of a timeframe for the Mosul offensive, Iraqi, Kurdish and commanders from the US-led coalition that are expected to take part in the joint operations have said that preparations are underway and reinforcements are being sent to the frontlines.
“They flee as the Mosul operation is getting close,” Aras Haso Mirkhan, deputy commander of the Peshmerga forces at the Makhmour-Gwer front south of Erbil, told Rudaw on Monday.
“Some days 200 people surrender to the Peshmerga forces,” he revealed, saying most are people who are either fed up with life in ISIS-controlled territories or afraid of the coming offensive, which military officials have warned could result in large civilian casualties and a humanitarian disaster.
“Some 3,000 people, including ISIS militants have fled from Mosul and its outskirts and reached Peshmerga lines since the beginning of this year,” Mirkhan said.
An Iraqi man who escaped from Mosul last month told Rudaw that women are forced to wear the hijab – the Islamic veil – and there are women among the militants who carry out the punishments against violators.
Hundreds of Iraqi soldiers and police officers have been executed by ISIS since it took over Mosul in June 2014, Mirkhan and other sources say.
"Most of them are those who used to work for the Iraqi forces and other government offices," Mirkhan said. "They repented and lived under ISIS, but did not safe and fled from those areas,” he explained.
“We usually do investigate those people who escape and come to us,” Mirkhan said. If we know they were not ISIS they are settled in refugee camps, while others are placed under investigation,” he added.
Although there has been no indication of a timeframe for the Mosul offensive, Iraqi, Kurdish and commanders from the US-led coalition that are expected to take part in the joint operations have said that preparations are underway and reinforcements are being sent to the frontlines.