by Zachary Lucas
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

DAMASCUS, Syria — Following the Islamic State’s (IS) ouster from the city of Manbij, Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have discovered thousands of land mines and improvised explosive devices (IED) scattered around the city.

SDF, a United States backed rebel group in Syria, liberated the city of Manbij a couple of weeks earlier. Following reports that IS left the city with a couple thousand civilian hostages and using them as human shields, the SDF discovered thousands of land mines and IEDs in the city. The SDF released a statement saying there goal is to “identify and remove improvised explosive devices.” The SDF also stated the sheer amount of explosives still poses a significant threat to civilians.

The explosives are a mixture of Russian explosives, land mines, and various handmade IEDs. Approximately 13,000 to 15,000 land mines and IEDs have been discovered and disarmed according to the SDF.

Reports have revealed that not only did IS leave land mines and IED’s on known battle areas, but around areas where civilians were more likely to go or in objects civilians were likely to use. Ahmed Mohammed, an activist from Manbij who now lives in Turkey, said “Mines were found inside a garlic and onion basket, a staircase, and even normal-looking rocks across the fields.”

Pictures provided by the SDF appear to show explosives underneath rocks, on top of doorways, and even in soda cans. Sherfan Darwish, the Syrian Democratic Forces’s spokesman, stated the goal of IS was to slow down SDF progress and main and kill civilians. SDF officials say the mines have already claimed the lives of 100 civilians.

The use of mines in Syria has been extensive by all parties involved. The United Nations’ Mine Action Gateway reported that 5.1 million people live in areas where land mines are thought to have been placed. This number includes over 2 million children.

For more information, please see:

ARA News — Western-backed Syrian rebels dismantling ISIS explosives in liberated town — 23 August 2016

Daily Mail — ISIS laid at least 13,000 landmines as it fled Syrian town of Manbij – packing fridges, fruit baskets and even KETTLES with explosives  — 26 August 2016

Global Voices — ISIS Left Thousands of Mines in Manbij Before Fleeing. It Hid Them Inside Everything — 25 August 2016

Wall Street Journal — U.S.-Backed Force Steps Up Efforts to Secure Syria’s Manbij After Ousting ISIS — 14 August 2016

by Zachary Lucas
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

DAMASCUS, Syria — After retaking the city of Manbij, rebel forces accused Islamic State (IS) forces of covering their retreat with a caravan of vehicles filled with civilians. Rebel forces stated they didn’t fire at IS due to the presence of civilians.

Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a United States backed rebel group in Syria, reported that IS forces covered their retreat with approximately 2,000 civilians. SDF, which is an alliance of Kurdish and Arabic fighters, stated they had regained control of most of Manbij, a city in the Aleppo governorate. An SDF spokesperson said that after IS forces had been defeated they abducted approximately 2,000 civilians from the town and took them in vehicles out of the city to Jarabulus.

The SDF claims that the civilians were taken with IS to prevent the SDF from firing at IS vehicles as they retreated. The SDF stated they treated everyone in the vehicles as non-combatants and didn’t fire out of fear of hitting civilians. US led airstrikes also didn’t target the vehicles after receiving information that civilians were in them according to Baghdad-based US-led coalition spokesman Col Chris Garver. Following the incident, most of the hostages were freed and returned to the city.

The ouster of IS forces in Manbij comes after a ten-week offensive waged by the SDF with help from US led airstrikes against IS. Manbij had been in IS control since 2014. Following the liberation of Manbij, citizens celebrated in the streets. Citizens celebrated by doing things that weren’t allowed under IS authority such as cutting off beards and smoking. According to the Syrian Observatory on Human Rights, the ten-week battle for Manbij claimed the lives of over 400 civilians and 1,200 SDF and IS fighters.

The use of human shields is illegal under international law under the Geneva Convention and its Protocols along with the Rome Statute. IS has been accused of using human shields in previous incidents. After IS forces were pushed out of Fallujah in later June, on ground forces claimed that IS took civilians with them to protect their retreat. There was confusion concerning this situation which led to the IS convoy being fired upon. In May and June of this year, IS forces attempted to slow down Iraqi forces in Fallujah by positioning themselves near civilians trapped in the crossfire.

For more information, please see:

Al Jazeera — Syria war: ISIL flees Manbij with ‘human shields’ — 13 August 2016

BBC — Photos show IS militants fleeing Manbij with ‘human shields’ — 19 August 2016

CNN — Jubilation in Syria’s Manbij as ISIS loses control of key city — 14 August 2016

Guardian — Isis appears to use civilians as human shields to flee Syrian town — 19 August 2016

by Zachary Lucas
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

CAIRO, Egypt — Egyptian military announced that airstrikes had killed a top Islamic State (IS) leader in the Sinai peninsula. Abu Duaa al-Ansari, was the head  of the Ansar Bait al-Maqdis movement that operated out of the volatile region.

The Egyptian military launched a strike against the IS affiliate following “accurate intelligence” that the head of Ansar Bait al-Maqdis was near the town of Al-Arish. The Egyptian air force then struck just south of al-Arish and killed 45 ISIS operatives along with Ansari. Egyptian military officials stated that numerous arms and ammunition were also destroyed in the strike. The IS group in the region provided no confirmation of the death of Ansari.

Egypt has been persistently fighting IS in the region following numerous attacks on its personnel. This attack comes after a promise to hunt down IS operatives following attacks that killed Egyptian security officers. The campaign is party of a larger struggle for the Egyptian government to restore stability to the volatile country.

Ansar Bait al-Maqdis, which translates to “Champions of the Holy House,” began operating after the ouster of former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. The group has led attacks against Egyptian security officials and Egyptian infrastructure, including a gas pipeline between Egypt and Jordan. There attacks became deadlier after the ouster of the Islamist President Mohamed Morsi in 2013. In 2014, the group pledged allegiance to IS and have since been referred to as Wilayat Sinai or Sinai Province. The IS affiliate receive support from the local tribes in Sinai that have felt neglected by past Egyptian governments.

Sinai Province previously claimed responsibility for the crash of Russian Metrojet Flight 9268. In October 2015, Sinai Province claimed to plant a bomb on the plane which blew up in flight killing 224 passengers. The terrorist attack came after Russia began a bombing campaign in Syria against rebel groups, including IS, in supporter of the Syrian regime.

For more information, please see:

CNN — ISIS leader killed in Sinai, Egypt says — 5 August 2016

Fox News — Leader of ISIS in Egypt’s Sinai killed by air force, sources confirm — 4 August 2016

Haaretz — ISIS Leader in Sinai Killed in Airstrikes, Egyptian Military Says — 4 August 2016

Huffington Post — Egypt Claims To Have Killed The Leader Of ISIS’ Sinai Affiliate — 4 August 2016

by Zachary Lucas
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

TEHRAN, Iran — Authorities in Iran have arrested over 150 young men and women at a mixed-gender birthday party in Tehran. Police vow to keep a close watch on locations where such illegal parties might take place as they step up enforcement over the summer.

After receiving a tip-off from local residents in Tehran, police raided a garden next to an illegal music recording studio. The Iranian police arrested over 150 young men and women that were at the party. Since the arrests were made, Iranian officials have not stated whether those arrested are still in custody or will have charges brought against them.

Authorities commented that some of the women were “half-naked” or not wearing the traditional Islamic garb that is required under Iranian law. They also said that people at the party were “mingling.” Following the incident, Iranian police said they will continue to closely monitor locations, such as gardens, that might host such gatherings. Before the summer started, about 7,000 plain-clothes officers were hired to help crackdown these type of gatherings and other examples of “immorality.”

Mixed-gender parties are illegal in Iran. Penalties for violating theses “morality” laws could potentially be lashes or prison time. Iranian laws also bans women from wearing anything other than the traditional Islamic garb which, under Iranian law, means headscarves and long coats. Iranian law also bans the possession and consumption of alcohol.

Iranian authorities’ crackdown on “immorality” has risen over the past few months as social attitude towards these laws has worsened, especially among younger Iranians who see it as an invasion of privacy. In Qazvin province, 35 students were detained and flogged following a similar party. Recently in May, 70 students at a mixed gender party were detained and flogged.

The “morality” police, as they are sometimes called, also enforce other violations such as loose-fitting headscarves, tight overcoats, and “glamorous” hairstyles for men. Authorities are also removing illegal satellite dishes on houses. The police are also known to stop people from walking their dogs.

These laws were introduced after the 1979 Islamic Revolution that ousted the pro-western government. President Hassan Rouhani, a moderate, has opposed these type of crackdowns and argued for more social freedom among Iranians. The police and judiciary, however, act independent of his authority and answer to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of Iran. The Supreme Leader in Iran holds more power and authority than the President. Despite this, many have argued President Rouhani should do more to enhance freedoms.

For more information, please see:

Daily Mail — Iranian police arrest 150 boys and girls for attending birthday party in latest raid to crack down on youngsters attending mixed-gender events — 25 July 2016

Guardian — Up to 150 men and women detained at party in Iran — 26 July 2016

Middle East Eye — 150 people arrested at mixed-gender party in Tehran — 28 July 2016

NBC News — Iran Arrests 150 People at Mixed-Gender Party: Report — 27 July 2016