Moscow urges all Iraqi political forces to agree on joint counter-terror measures
MOSCOW. Aug 8 (Interfax) - Moscow supports Baghdad's measures to combat Islamist groups active on the territory of Iraq and calls on the international community to coordinate its counter-terrorism efforts and avoid double standards, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on its website.
"The atrocities of Islamic radicals deserve the most resolute condemnation. The events that are taking place in Iraq today once again confirm that terrorism is the ultimate event and all responsible representatives of the international community should make coordinated efforts to fight against it avoiding any double standards," it said.
"We support the Iraqi authorities who are waging an uncompromising fight against terrorists. We call on all Iraqi political forces to reach agreements in the spirit of national consensus, which would help offer an effective response to any expressions of extremism and terrorism in Iraq," the ministry said, reaffirming Russia's concerns over the situation in this country.
"Militants of the Islamic State terrorist group continue to extend their area of control in the northwest of the country. Simultaneously, they launched an unprecedented reprisal campaign against representatives of religious and ethnic minorities living in these districts - Christians, Kurds, Yazidi Kurds and the Turkoman people. The extremists have taken control of the town of Qaraqosh - one of the historic centers of the Christian community of Iraq," it said.
"Several thousand Yazidis, fearing persecutions on the part of the militants, were forced to leave their homes in the district to the northwest of the city of Mosul. Many of them have effectively found themselves trapped in the mountainous area near the city of Sinjar without access to water, food and elementary standards of living. Some estimates indicate that around 50 people, among them women and children, have died," the ministry said.
"The central government in Baghdad is assisting the Yazidis, who have found themselves in this dire situation. Iraq's National Air Force is regularly "dropping" humanitarian supplies to the mountainous area of Sinjar. The U.S. has reported similar measures as well," it said.
