The Iraqi Prime Minister’s office said a unit of its security forces had committed abuses against civilians during an offensive to oust Islamic State insurgents from the City of Mosul reports Reuters.
The statement was in response to the conclusion of an investigation into a report by German newspaper Der Spiegel that documented evidence of torture taking place in the Iraqi Emergency Response Division (ERD).
“The committee has concluded that clear abuses and violations were committed by members of the ERD,” a statement from the prime minister’s office said.
The TERD initially denied the German report and accused the newspaper of publishing “fabricated and unreal images.”
The ERD was one of many government security forces supported by the US led coalition tasked with driving Islamic state out of Mosul.