Sunni lawmakers accuse Shia militiamen of executing children in Fallujah

A coalition of Sunni lawmakers have accused members of the pro-government Shia militia of executing children during a military campaign to regain control of the city of Fallujah from Daesh.

In a statement, the Arabic Coalition claimed that members of the Shia Popular Mobilisation Forces executed 17 civilians, including children under the age of ten, in the city’s northern Al-Saqlawiyah district.

The coalition has also accused the militiamen of torture and targeting civilians.

Some 73 civilians were abducted in Al-Saqlawiyah after they escaped Daesh and surrendered to the Iraqi security forces, the group said.

A local official in Anbar said five civilians were killed and 100 others sustained fractures as a result of torture by Shia militiamen.

The coalition held the Iraqi government responsible for protecting civilians and called for an investigation into the abuse.