Government calls for protection of civilians after two days of violence

The Ministry of Human Rights has called for the protection of civilians during ongoing offensives by US and Iraqi forces and an end to sectarian fighting after 48 hours of intense violence, officials said. “We urge US forces and Iraqi security groups to protect civilians during raids and prevent sectarian violence from killing innocent people and causing mayhem among the population,” said Humam Ali, a senior official at the human rights ministry. Recent incidents of sectarian violence have led to the displacement of more than 6,000 families from different districts of the capital, Baghdad, according to officials at the interior ministry. “More people are leaving their homes everyday, afraid they could be the next victims of ongoing sectarian killings,” said Falah Muhammad, a senior ministry official. “They’re suffering without essential supplies and shelter.” Muhammad added that the number of deaths in the past 48 hours had reached some 120. This brings the total death toll since the destruction of the Shi’ite Imam al-Askari shrine in Samarra on 22 February – which triggered the violence – to about 1,450. The Iraqi Red Crescent Society (IRCS) is supplying more than 4,000 families in different areas of the capital with food, clean water, blankets and tents. “Our volunteers are working hard to help families displaced by sectarian violence,” said IRCS Director Saad Haki, although he added that more supplies were needed. The government, meanwhile, has allocated nearly US $500,000 to supply affected families with essential needs and ancillary support. On 26 March, dozens of families fled Baghdad’s Sadr city after US military forces raided a Shi’ite mosque in Sha’ab district, east of the capital. According to witnesses, more than 20 unarmed worshippers were executed, leading to clashes between US troops and fighters from the Shi’ite Mehdi Army. More than 20 people were killed in the fighting, said police and health ministry officials. However, the BBC quoted a statement by the US military as saying that “No mosques were entered or damaged during this operation.” On Sunday, 30 beheaded bodies were found north of the capital, while a further 33 people were killed in violence elsewhere, including women and children. A further 11 bodies – found handcuffed and shot dead – were found in Baghdad and another two in the city of Baquba. On the same day, US military forces raided a bunker complex where they found 17 Sudanese nationals being held by local police under ambiguous circumstances. A senior interior ministry official, speaking anonymously for security reasons, claimed there were valid charges against the detainees. He added, however, that the prisoners appeared to have been tortured and dehydrated when discovered by US personnel. More than 45 police officers found at the scene were arrested by the US military, with several still being held for interrogation.