Iraq’s al-Sumariah news network cited a local source as saying that ISIS carried out the executions on Tuesday as the civilians were trying to flee the city of Tal Afar, located 63 kilometers west of Mosul, to government-controlled areas in Nineveh Province.
Separately, Commander of Iraqi Federal Police Ra’ed Shaker Judat said at least 60 Daesh terrorists had died as Iraqi forces advanced through Mosul’s Old City, the last district controlled by the group in the city.
He said the Iraqi forces had also seized explosive belts, rockets, and rocket launchers from the terrorists.
Judat further said that Iraqi forces had also raided three residences used to make bombs, discovering several booby-traps and explosive-laden vehicles, defusing all the devices.
Daesh named Mosul as its so-called headquarters in Iraq back in 2014, the year it launched a terrorist campaign inside the Arab country.
Iraqi forces have now pushed Daesh into a shrinking rectangle no more than 300 by 500 meters in area beside the Tigris River.
Also on Tuesday, Iraq’s Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi congratulated Iraqi forces fighters on “the big victory in Mosul.”
“Praise be to God, we managed to liberate (Mosul) and proved the others were wrong, the people of Mosul supported and stood with our security forces against terrorism,” he said.