Washington, 14 August (WashingtonTV)—A US commission said on Friday that it was “deeply concerned” over the escalating sectarian violence in Iraq, which has killed at least 120 Shiite Muslims and members of the minority Yazidi sect, in recent weeks.
“The Iraqi government must do much more to prevent a return to escalating sectarian conflict,” said Leonard Leo, chair of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom.
On Thursday, two suicide bombers attacked a café in the predominantly Yazidi town of Sinjar in northern Iraq, killing at least 21 people. And two large truck bombs killed at least 28 Shiites in a village outside of Mosul on Monday.
Leo called on the Iraqi government to provide “visible and effective protection” to all religious and ethnic minorities, bolster police protection where it is needed, and ensure greater sectarian integration into the government and security forces.