Mr Ján Kubiš, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Iraq, said on Thursday that the days of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) terrorist group are numbered in Iraq.
Kubiš, who stated this when he briefed the Security Council on the situation in Iraq, noted the progress made by the Iraqi forces in Mosul.
“In the foreseeable future, the liberation operations in Iraq will come to an end, and the days of Da’esh are numbered,” the UN envoy said.
He, however, said that one of the most disturbing aspects of the crisis had been the extremely high percentage of civilian casualties.
Kubiš said nearly half of all trauma victims being treated in Erbil in the Kurdistan Region are civilians.
He noted that the UN Assistant Mission in Iraq, had received no evidence of any systematic or widespread violations of international humanitarian law and human rights law on the part of the security forces.
“However, criminal acts against civilians and prisoners of war still regrettably happen
“Mostly, they are quickly investigated with measures taken to prevent such acts in the future, ” he said.
Kubiš added that the protection of civilians, the avoidance of steps that could incite sectarian tensions, and the prevention of revenge attacks in Mosul and in other liberated areas of the country are of vital importance for winning the hearts and minds of the population. (NAN)
APT/AMY/AMY