Mosul battle: US says IS using human shields

[EnterpriseSovereign]

The US has accused Islamic State (IS) militants of using civilians as human shields as Iraqi forces move closer to the group's stronghold in Mosul.

As many as 1.5 million people are believed to remain in the city, where up to 5,000 IS fighters face the third day of the operation to retake Mosul.

News that the nearby town of Qaraqosh had been liberated was later denied by a government commander.

But the US-backed coalition say they have driven IS out of 10 villages.

Government troops are moving up from the south while their Kurdish allies are approaching from the east in a two-pronged campaign which began on Monday.

US President Barack Obama has sought to allay concerns about an exodus of civilians from the area, saying "plans and infrastructure" are in place for dealing with a potential humanitarian crisis.

Source and full article here.

[The Romulan Republic]

No surprises their.

At the same time, I'm glad that they're finally going ahead with it. It seems like they've been talking about the upcoming attack on Mosul for a year or two.

I'm worried about the potential additional refugees as well, though. 1.5 million people...