MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Clashes between the Iraqi army and the Daesh terrorist group near Mosul may force up to 1 million people leave their homes, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) warned on Friday.
"The situation is unpredictable but we must prepare for the worst. There's the likelihood that fighting will intensify, particularly in the Mosul area. Hundreds of thousands of people may very well be on the move in the coming weeks and months, seeking shelter and assistance," the ICRC quoted Regional Director for the Near and Middle East Robert Mardini as saying.
Mosul, the second largest Iraqi city populated by 500,000 people, was turned by the Daesh group outlawed in many countries including in Russia in one of its stronghold. Iraqi forces supported by Kurdish Peshmerga militia are carrying out operations in the ancient city of Nineveh in preparation for an assault on Mosul.
