Dozens of fleeing civilians killed, wounded by ISIL mortar fire in Mosul

At least seven civilians were killed and 23 wounded by ISIL mortar shells as they tried to flee Mosul's militant-controlled Zanjili district on Thursday, Iraqi police said.

Zanjili is part of the enclave that remains in the hands of ISIL in the northern Iraqi city, alongside the Old City center and the Medical City hospitals complex.

US-backed Iraqi government forces retook eastern Mosul in January and began a new push on Saturday to capture the enclave where about 200,000 people are trapped, regularly dropping leaflets telling families to flee.

The wounded from Zanjili were taken to a field clinic, a police officer told Reuters, adding that more people could have been killed while trying to flee. They were part of the first group of civilians who have managed to escape.

Several dozen other civilians managed to reach government-held lines unhurt, using the same exit route, the officer said.

The population in the ISIL-held enclave live in harrowing conditions, running low on food, water and medicine, and with limited access to hospitals, the United Nations said on Sunday.

(REUTERS)