Categories: Middle East

1.5 million Iraqis join fight against ISIL militants

Around 1.5 million Iraqis have volunteered to join battles against the militants of the al-Qaeda-linked Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

On Friday, Iraqi officials said that people were rushing to recruitment centers to sign up for the fight against the Takfiri militants.

The volunteers consist of people from all ages and include retired officers.

The development came after senior religious and political leaders called on the Iraqi nation to take up arms and defend their country against militants.

On June 10, the militants took control of Nineveh province, including its provincial capital Mosul, in a lightning advance, forcing “over 500,000 people in and around the city” to flee, according to Geneva-based International Organization for Migration (IOM).

The militants have vowed to continue their raid towards the capital Baghdad.

Also on Friday, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay expressed concerns over summary executions and extrajudicial killings by the so-called ISIL, adding that hundreds were probably killed and thousands injured by the violence.

by Presstv

Emad Askarieh

Emad Askarieh has worked as a journalist since 2002. The main focus of his work is foreign policy and world diplomacy. He started his career at Iran Front Page Media Group, and is currently serving as the World Editor and the Vice-President for Executive Affairs at the Iran Front Page (IFP) news website.