WARNING: Graphic content
The Kurdish government is investigating evidence of atrocities committed against Islamic State fighters that mirror the terror group’s own brutal tactics, CTV News has learned.
Gruesome images of executed ISIS militants circulating on Kurdish Twitter feeds are legitimate, the Kurdish government has confirmed to CTV’s Ottawa Bureau Chief Robert Fife.
The images show the severed heads of captured militants. The beheadings happened on Jan. 30, during a fierce battle to drive ISIS out of the oil-rich city of Kirkuk.
The Kurds say that at the time, peshmerga fighters, Kurdish volunteers, Shi’ite militia and local tribes were all fighting ISIS.
“In this confusing atmosphere … obviously it is very difficult to identify who has been responsible, but still we are looking into this matter,” Kurdish Regional government spokesperson Safeen Dizayi told CTV News.
He said there is “no justification to behave in such a way and to treat dead corpses of ISIS or whomever in such a manner.”
As coalition forces wage war against ISIS overseas, the alleged atrocities are an uncomfortable prospect for Western allies.
Since Canada is supporting the Kurds in what the government calls a training and advisory capacity, the Opposition and Amnesty International say it has an obligation to participate in the investigation.
“There is certainly ample reason to be concerned that this amounts to war crimes,” Amnesty International’s Alex Neve told CTV News.
Canadian Special Forces are based in Erbil, which is located 88 kilometres from where the killings occurred.
CTV News showed the gruesome photographs to Canada’s Department of National Defence.
In a written statement, Defence Minister Jason Kenney said that Canadian troops had not been operating in the vicinity of Kirkuk.
“The Canadian Armed Forces take any allegations of abuse very seriously and CAF members have an obligation to report such allegations,” Kenney said.
NDP MP Helene Laverdiere says Canada must investigate.
“We’ll have to know what happened there because I think it is quite sickening,” Laverdiere told CTV News. “It’s the only word that comes to my mind.”
Amnesty International says Canada has a lot of “expertise” it can offer to ensure the investigation is done properly.
CTV also sent the photographs to U.S. coalition command seeking comment on what actions are being taken to prevent such atrocities. There was no response.
