ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – The Islamic State has demanded that former Iraqi army officers join the group’s fighters in Mosul, a source inside the jihadist-held city told Rudaw.
“Once ISIS issued the order, several soldiers and former Iraqi army officers joined the Islamic State because they feared punishment. Many other went to the group’s regiments to surrender,” said the source.
The source told Rudaw that ISIS has given a short deadline for the ex-officers to take up arms and fight alongside ISIS militants against Iraqi forces.
The source added that those who disobeyed would be punished. ISIS has reportedly captured as many as 300 former Iraqi Army soldiers and officers.
Earlier this year, ISIS began forcing young men in Mosul to join their fighters and many were deployed to the battlefields.
“ISIS is pursuing the youth of Mosul to conscript them, and if any family refuses to send their sons to join the group, they will have to pay one million Iraqi dinars [$850] in return,” said a source inside Mosul.
“Once ISIS issued the order, several soldiers and former Iraqi army officers joined the Islamic State because they feared punishment. Many other went to the group’s regiments to surrender,” said the source.
The source told Rudaw that ISIS has given a short deadline for the ex-officers to take up arms and fight alongside ISIS militants against Iraqi forces.
The source added that those who disobeyed would be punished. ISIS has reportedly captured as many as 300 former Iraqi Army soldiers and officers.
Earlier this year, ISIS began forcing young men in Mosul to join their fighters and many were deployed to the battlefields.
“ISIS is pursuing the youth of Mosul to conscript them, and if any family refuses to send their sons to join the group, they will have to pay one million Iraqi dinars [$850] in return,” said a source inside Mosul.
Comments
Rudaw moderates all comments submitted on our website. We welcome comments which are relevant to the article and encourage further discussion about the issues that matter to you. We also welcome constructive criticism about Rudaw.
To be approved for publication, however, your comments must meet our community guidelines.
We will not tolerate the following: profanity, threats, personal attacks, vulgarity, abuse (such as sexism, racism, homophobia or xenophobia), or commercial or personal promotion.
Comments that do not meet our guidelines will be rejected. Comments are not edited – they are either approved or rejected.
Post a comment