Islamic State using civilians as human shields against Iraqi troops
While fighting Iraqi forces in the town of Hit, west of Baghdad, Islamic State is reportedly using civilians as human shields, thwarting the efforts by Iraqi troops to regain control of the city from Islamic militants.
photo/Islamic State flag
Breitbart News reported Thursday that leaders of the so-called Islamic caliphate in Syria had issued orders forbidding Christians from leaving their capital city of Raqqa, a move to use the hostages as human shields against attacks.
“The jihadists don’t hesitate to use civilians as human shields to slow the advance of Iraqi troops and interfere with airstrikes by the Iraqi army and some coalition forces,” CBN notes.
CBN News notes that terrorist groups Hamas and Hezbollah also use civilians as human shields in fighting in the Gaza Strip and in southern Lebanon. Tens of thousands of civilians are trapped in the fighting and now are front and center in the line of fire.
Starting back in 2014 there were reports that Islamic State fighters in Syria are using human shields to protect themselves from American airstrikes. When the US Army and Marines took Fallujah back from Al Qaeda in Iraq (the Islamic State under its previous name) in 2004, for instance, they first spent weeks evacuating the city of as many civilians as they could before going in.
“Christians living under Islamic State rule are not permitted to build any new churches or repair existing ones. They cannot publicly show any crosses, pray or recite the Bible, and may not interfere in the conversion of any Christian to the Muslim religion. They are also barred from selling pork products or alcohol to any Muslims nor to consume these products themselves in public,” Breitbart summarizes.
