Supported by various militia groups, the Iraqi army is in the midst of a huge operation to retake Tikrit from Islamic State (IS) group militants. As part of this operation, it took control of Al-Bouajil on Monday. Hours later, Shiite militiamen turned the village into a blazing inferno.
For several months, leaders of Shiite militias have been repeating calls for vengeance against Sunni tribes in the region, including the Al-Bouajil tribe, which lives in the village of the same name. Sunnis from the village are accused of taking part in a massacre led by Islamic State group in June 2014, when jihadists overran the Speicher military camp on the outskirts of Tikrit. About 1,700 Shiite soldiers are reported to have been slaughtered in the carnage.
A video uploaded to social networks shows men wearing combat uniforms setting fire to shops and houses in Al-Bouajil. Behind them, clouds of smoke rise up in thick black columns. The man filming the scene from a vehicle shouts to militiamen: "Burn them! Burn them!" The video also shows a procession of 4x4 vehicles carrying flags belonging to Shiite militias. Among them can be seen the flag of 'Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq' [Editor's note: 'League of the Righteous'], reputed as one of the most radical militias operating in Iraq. The group's leader, Qais Khazali, had publicly called for "vengeance" for the victims of the Speicher massacre.
No comments:
Post a Comment