Disturbing footage on social media appears to show dozens of terrified Iraqis fleeing for their lives by swimming across the Euphrates River.
The Iraqis shown in the emotional video were reportedly fleeing Fallujah amid increased fighting between Daesh (also known as Islamic State) and Iraqi government forces, is aided by Iranian-funded militias.
Watch the video below:
1000s of Iraqi Sunni civilians fleeing from the war in #Fallujah by swimming across the River. #Iraq pic.twitter.com/rn69rHNHxL
— عائشہ خان (@Ashikhan251) June 17, 2016
Al Bawaba was not able to immediately verify that the video is what it purports to be.
According to human rights groups cited by Al Jazeera, several Iraqi civilians have drowned in the Euphrates in recent weeks while attempting to escape the fighting in Falluja.
Fallujah has been controlled by Daesh for about two years, but Iraq's central government launched a powerful offensive in May to re-take the city.
Civilians of #Fallujah fleeing from #ISIS through euphrates river into the hands of the Brave Hashd alShabi #Iraq pic.twitter.com/c6CZnOwOzt
— ElectronicResistance (@ResistanceER) June 3, 2016
An estimated 30,000-42,000 people have fled Falluja since the government offensive was launched last month. Another 50,000 or so citizens are said to still be trapped in the embattled city, located about an hour's drive west of Baghdad.
"People basically are surviving on dried dates and water from the river," fleeing Fallujah in Iraq https://t.co/pSazzxX8CF
— Patrick deHahn (@patrickdehahn) May 26, 2016
Daesh has reportedly deployed snipers and planted bombs to kill Sunni civilians fleeing Fallujah. Meanwhile, the Popular Mobilization Forces, or Hashd al-Shaabi, have been accused of torturing Sunnis escaping the city.
-Hunter Stuart
