ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The fate of 650 civilians among thousands who have been able to escape the clutches of the Islamic State in the embattled town of Fallujah is unknown, according to local tribal officials. After many reports of violations committed against Fallujah residents by Shiite militia, "a special committee has been formed to follow up on missing cases among people fleeing ISIS. So far, 650 people are missing," Ghassan Issawi, a spokesperson for the Sunni tribesmen, told Rudaw. "Efforts have been made in coordination with the Anbar Provincial Council, the central government and Iraqi Federal Police to stop these violations against the refugees of Saqlawya and other liberated areas from ISIS," Issawi added. Saqlawya is located just north of Fallujah. Issawi explained that reports of violations were being investigated in order to prevent such atrocities from happening again. "As of now, we are speaking with the Fallujah and Saqlawya refugees to talk about their situations," he concluded. The governor of Anbar, Suhaib al-Rawi, came out with a damning report on Saturday on killings, torture and imprisonment of Fallujah civilians by members of the Iraqi Shiite militia who are backing government troops in the battle, adding that the city is being unjustifiably destroyed. “Iraqi troops continue their advance into Fallujah but with it images of inhumane acts and abuse have come out perpetrated by some armed groups that is sectarian in every sense,” al-Rawi told Rudaw. “These actions have tainted and affected the overall operations.” The governor added that these images of abuse have frightened the people of Fallujah who are trapped in the city between Islamic State rule on one side and daily bombardment on the other. Many hundreds of people have risked capture and subsequent punishment by ISIS to flee the city and reach safety through corridors designated by the army in the lead up to the battle. But the United Nations and other organizations believe that up to 90,000 people are still stranded in the city. Four thousand people fled Fallujah on Saturday and Sunday through a safe corridor opened up by the Iraqi army, confirmed a Norwegian aid agency on Sunday.
