Depressed Tal Afar migrant sets own family on fire
Refugees from Mosul. Representational photo
Najaf (IraqiNews.com) A stressed out migrant from the town of Tal Afar has set fire to his own family, police sources said as thousands more of civilians continue to flee the enclave.
A source in Najaf police service told Alsumaria News Wednesday that the migrant’s family consisted of seven members, and all lived in a house on the road between Tal Afar and Karbala province.
“Initial investigations revealed he had been suffering psychological pressures, and he had been referred to a mental hospital. He was a former agent at the Civil Defense service in Tal Afar,” said the police source.
Najaf and other southern provinces are home to hundreds of refugees who had migrated from Islamic State-held areas.
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi declared early Sunday the launch of operations to recapture the enclave where military commanders believe up to 2000 fighters are deployed.
Over the past few days, Iraqi field commanders reported progress on the ground, saying government and paramilitary troops had reached the center of the town.
The United Nations says 40.000 civilians had fled Tal Afar while 30.000 are believed to be stranded inside.
Iraq’s war against Islamic State militants have displaced nearly three million civilians since 2014, according to Iraqi migration authorities.