Iraq crisis: 'Strong evidence' ISIS committing mass executions, war crimes,

Satellite imagery strongly suggests the extremist Sunni group the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has conducted mass executions in Iraq, lobby group Human Rights Watch says.

ISIS, radical Islamists who want to re-create a medieval-style caliphate straddling Iraq and Syria, has stormed largely unopposed across much of northern Iraq, taking cities including Mosul and Tikrit, seizing border posts with Syria and advancing to within some 100 kilometres of the capital Baghdad.

In mid June, ISIS posted pictures on Twitter that appeared to show the massacre of 1,700 Iraqi soldiers after the fall of the city of Tikrit.

However, there has been no independent verification.

Images show horrifying final moments

ISIS militants publish images appearing to show the massacre of Iraqi servicemen in Tikrit (WARNING: Graphic images).

New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) said that between 160 and 190 men were killed in at least two locations in and around Tikrit - the hometown of late Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein - between June 11 and 14.

It said that the death toll could be much higher, but the difficulty of locating bodies and getting to the area had prevented a full investigation.

"The photos and satellite images from Tikrit provide strong evidence of a horrible war crime that needs further investigation," HRW emergencies director Peter Bouckaert said in a statement.

"They and other abusive forces should know that the eyes of Iraqis and the world are watching."

Caroline Anning, from Save the Children in Erbil, says the ISIS offensive in recent weeks has prompted thousands of people to flee their homes.

"What I've seen is thousands of people fleeing every day and fleeing for their lives and what we know is that it's an extremely violent and chaotic situation in the north of Iraq," she told ABC News 24.

"Certainly atrocities are taking place and, you know, people are terrified and with good reason and that's why they're dropping their things and they're leaving their lives behind."

It was not immediately possible to get comment from ISIS.

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ABC/Reuters

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-06-27/isis-committing-mass-executions-in-iraq-hrw-says/5556612