MOSUL, Iraq — Three Kurds lighting a Newroz fire were among 39 civilians killed by ISIS in western Mosul this week, a Kurdish party official told Rudaw on Saturday. The Kurds were killed on the first day of Newroz holiday by ISIS, said Sahed Mamuzini an official from the Mosul branch of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP). Newroz holiday is celebrated by Kurdish people to mark the beginning of spring and start of the new year. Mamuzini additionally reported ISIS shot and killed 23 civilians trying to flee war-torn western Mosul on Friday, and another 13 on Saturday. Last week, Rudaw reported on an entire Kurdish family of eight killed by ISIS militants in the liberation of western Mosul, whose bodies were being returned to Duhok for burial rites. Mosul has historically been one of Iraq’s most diverse cities, home to Sunni Arabs, Shiite Arabs, Kurds, Christians, and Turkmen. The UN’s humanitarian coordinator for Iraq, Lise Grande, told reporters earlier this month that civilians are at risk whether they choose to flee the city or remain in their homes. Those who choose to stay face extreme risks from crossfire, snipers, and explosive hazards; while families who choose to leave are equally at risk: families get separated, ISIS targets them, and there is a risk of explosive hazards.
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