Iraqi militias accused of displacing citizens in IS-liberated town

Iraqi militias have embarked on a new campaign of forced displacement of dozens of families south if Salahuddin, sources told The New Arab.  

"About ninety families in the town were forced to leave their homes within 72 hours under threat of detention for terrorism charges," said Mohammed Khalah al-Jabouri, an elder of the town of Dhuluiya.  

Local officials confirmed that armed group's seized large areas of land in the town and distributed it to members of the Popular Mobilisation Forces, a coalition of mostly Shia militias, attached to the ministry of interior.  

"The militias justify the displacement saying that they are relatives of members of [the Islamic State group]," Jabouri said, using the Arabic acronym for the Islamic State group.

He said he feared a wider campaign of displacement in the region by the government-linked militias.  

A members of a local council member also said militia members seized large tracts of land in the town and distributed it to the family members of Popular Mobilisation Forces' fighters killed fighting IS.  

Dhuluiya was retaken by Iraqi forces and locals in January 2015, nearly seven months after it was captured by IS.

The Popular Mobilisation Forces - made up of several Shia militias united under the ministry of interior in 2014 - have been key the Iraqi armed forces fight with IS.

But the militias have been slammed by human rights groups for the murder, torture and displacement of civilians.

A recent Human Rights Watch report accused Iraqi security forces and pro-government militias of committing possible war crimes during 2015 in their fight against IS.

The group said militants had unlawfully demolished buildings in recaptured areas and of "forcibly disappearing" residents.