JEDDAH: The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has expressed concern at the ongoing developments in Iraq and the killing and displacement of innocent civilians in the war to liberate Fallujah.
Stressing the OIC’s stand in support of the Iraqi government in its war against Daesh, OIC Secretary-General Iyad Madani said the Makkah Document agreed to by Iraqi scholars, provides for the protection of Muslims and the unification of all sects, including Shiites and Sunnis. The organization called for solutions to be found that would ensure people return to their homes, it stated on Tuesday.
As Iraqi forces pressed an offensive Tuesday to dislodge Daesh militants from Fallujah, conditions are worsening for tens of thousands of civilians trapped in the city, and a leading aid group raised alarm over an unfolding “human catastrophe.”
Daesh terrorists launched a fierce counterattack on the southern edge of the city, slowing the progress of the elite Iraqi counterterrorism troops, and the militants reportedly corralled civilians into a single neighborhood for use as human shields.
With an estimated 50,000 civilians still inside Fallujah, humanitarian groups renewed calls on both sides to open safe corridors for noncombatants to flee — an action that seems unlikely because it would require negotiations between Daesh and the Iraqi forces to agree on a cessation of hostilities. In addition, Iraqi authorities want to prevent Daesh militants from escaping the city by melting into the fleeing civilian population.
Stressing the OIC’s stand in support of the Iraqi government in its war against Daesh, OIC Secretary-General Iyad Madani said the Makkah Document agreed to by Iraqi scholars, provides for the protection of Muslims and the unification of all sects, including Shiites and Sunnis. The organization called for solutions to be found that would ensure people return to their homes, it stated on Tuesday.
As Iraqi forces pressed an offensive Tuesday to dislodge Daesh militants from Fallujah, conditions are worsening for tens of thousands of civilians trapped in the city, and a leading aid group raised alarm over an unfolding “human catastrophe.”
Daesh terrorists launched a fierce counterattack on the southern edge of the city, slowing the progress of the elite Iraqi counterterrorism troops, and the militants reportedly corralled civilians into a single neighborhood for use as human shields.
With an estimated 50,000 civilians still inside Fallujah, humanitarian groups renewed calls on both sides to open safe corridors for noncombatants to flee — an action that seems unlikely because it would require negotiations between Daesh and the Iraqi forces to agree on a cessation of hostilities. In addition, Iraqi authorities want to prevent Daesh militants from escaping the city by melting into the fleeing civilian population.
