Rights groups expressed concern Wednesday that civilians were at great risk in the huge military operation the Iraqi government launched to retake the jihadist stronghold of Tikrit.

 

On Monday, some 30,000 Iraqi security forces, volunteers, Shiite militia and Sunni tribal fighters launched Baghdad's largest operation yet against the Islamic State jihadist group.

 

Some leaders and fighters have described the operation as an opportunity to avenge the June 2014 massacre by IS of hundreds of new, mostly Shiite, recruits from the nearby base of Speicher.

 

"Shiite paramilitary militias have often carried out reprisal sectarian attacks against Sunni civilians who are not involved in the hostilities," said Amnesty International's senior crisis response adviser Donatella Rovera.

 

"We are concerned about the possible recurrence and increase of such attacks in the ongoing operations," she told AFP