An Iraqi government-backed militia has killed execution-style at least four men suspected of being affiliated with the Islamic State (IS) group, Human Rights Watch (HRW) says.
The New York-based rights watchdog quoted residents of the Shayalat al-Imam village, some 70 kilometers south of Mosul, as saying the killings took place on November 29 amid a military operation to retake the northern city from the IS group.
Members of the Iraqi security forces were present for at least one killing but did not attempt to intervene, a December 18 statement said.
It said the men were killed by members of the Hashad al-Jabur militia "without any judicial proceeding," adding that the murder of prisoners in a conflict is a war crime.
The militia is made up of Sunni Arab tribal fighters and members of the Popular Mobilization Forces, a coalition of mainly Shi’ite militias that play a role in fighting IS militants.
The militias have been repeatedly accused of carrying out abuses.