A Mosul killings video is now the subject of an Iraqi government probe after the clip, which shows the apparent killing of ISIS detainees by members of the Iraqi military, caused an outcry.
The video allegedly shows unarmed detainees being thrown off a cliff, then shot as they lay on the ground. Human rights groups have reported getting a number of witness reports of torture and executions in Mosul as Iraqi military forces sweep the city to clear out pockets of ISIS insurgents, according to the BBC.
Victory over ISIS was declared Monday by Iraq’s prime minister after nine months of fighting in the region, in which thousands of civilians were killed and more than 920,000 were displaced, the BBC reported. The video was one of four that showed human rights abuses, all posted by an Iraqi man who often posts information about military activities in Mosul.
The Iraqi government said the video is being investigated and that, if determined to be authentic, they will bring those responsible to justice.
Senior Iraq researcher with Human Rights Watch Belkis Wille told the BBC that the Iraqi soldiers just wanted to get the battle over with quickly, and that their haste was leading to a “collapse of adherences to the laws of war.”
Other members of Human Rights Watch called the actions in the videos “war crimes" and said that Iraqi military should not punish families because of actions taken by relatives, The Associated Press reported.
U.S. Central Command, which had helped with the fight, said that areas of Mosul still needed to have explosive devices cleared from them, adding that a few ISIS fighters may still be in hiding, but that Iraqi forces were now in firm control of the city, Fox News reported.
While some Twitter users justified any actions to stamp out ISIS, others felt that a standard of behavior should be followed.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.