'Islamic State slaughtered at least 232 near Mosul last week'

Those executed included civilians who refused to comply with the relocation orders and 190 former Iraqi Security Forces officers, says U.N.

Homes destroyed by Islamic State militants, are seen on the outskirt of Bartila east of Mosul during an operation to attack Islamic State militants in Mosul, Iraq, October 19, 2016. REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani

Islamic State (IS) fighters slaughtered at least 232 people in and around Mosul this week as Iraqi troops advanced on the city, the U.N. rights office said on Friday.

"Last Wednesday, 232 civilians were reportedly shot to death. Of these, there were 190 former Iraqi Security Forces officers," rights office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani told reporters in Geneva.

"These reports have been corroborated to the extent possible. The number of people killed in recent days could be higher'', she said.

The execution-style killings came as the IS was pushing forward with its strategy of forcing people living near the northern Iraqi city into Mosul, the group's last bastion in Iraq.

The rights office said the jihadists' aim was to use these people as "human shields" in the battle for Mosul against US-backed elite Iraqi troops.

"ISIL has been forcing tens of thousands of people from their homes in some districts around Mosul," Ms. Shamdasani said .

Those who have been executed included civilians who have refused to comply with the relocation orders and those who previously worked for the government security services.