Hundreds of civilians who escaped the Iraqi city of Ramadi after it was seized by ISIS in last week’s bloody insurgency have been rounded up and arrested by Iraqi militia – because they were suspected of being terrorists in disguise.
New footage appears to show huge numbers of Iraqi refugees shackled in chains to one another and being led single-file through a desert region of Anbar province.
Reports suggest the civilians were arrested by members of an Iranian-backed Shi’ite militia group called Popular Mobilisation who control and police Baghdad.
More than 55,000 people fled Ramadi when Islamic State seized control of the city on May 17 and slaughtered around 500 in the process.
Thousands of people who fled the bloody takeover of Ramadi this month have been stuck at Bzeibez bridge which connects Anbar to Baghdad for days having been barred from leaving Anbar.
Some were finally allowed into Iraq’s capital city two days ago but restrictions on those fleeing violence in Anbar is forcing some to return straight back into dangerous conflict zones, one aid group has claimed.
Mark Schnellbaecher of the International Rescue Committee (IRC) said: ‘Thousands of people fleeing Ramadi are stuck at checkpoints or being denied entry to safe areas.
‘For some people, the situation has become so hopeless that they are returning to the conflict in Ramadi.
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