MOSCOW, September 13 (RIA Novosti) - Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Abadi has ordered the military forces to suspend airstrikes on areas of the country with high civilian populations, which are currently under the control of the radical group Islamic State (IS), the Associated Press reported Saturday.
"I issued this order two days ago, because we do not want to see more innocent victims falling in the places and provinces controlled by [the Islamic State]," Abadi was quoted as saying.
In his speech, the prime minister accused the militants of using civilians as human shields to prevent Iraqi government troops from liberating the occupied territories, and vowed to continue military operations against the IS.
On Thursday, it was reported that the Iraqi government supports the strategy of US President Barack Obama to promote the fight against the IS and other terrorist organizations without the input of American troops in Iraq. Earlier this week, Obama said Washington would be extending its airstrikes from Iraq to Syria to defeat IS and would provide support, equipment and training to Kurdish and Iraqi forces and Syria's opposition to respond to the threat.
The IS has been fighting the Syrian government since 2012. In June 2014, it launched an offensive in Iraq and seized vast areas in both countries, proclaiming an Islamic caliphate on the territories under its control.
