In December 2014, following international criticism of militia abuses
during the operations to retake the town of Amerli, Prime Minister
Haider al-Abadi promised to bring the militias—formally part of the
Popular Mobilization Forces but in practice independent actors—under
state control. The massive unlawful destruction of houses following the
recapture of Tikrit shows that reining in the militias and holding
accountable those responsible for crimes remains an urgent priority. The
Iraqi cabinet on April 7 formally recognized the Popular Mobilization
Forces as state security forces directly responsible to the prime
minister, who is commander-in-chief, but Iraqi authorities have not made
available any details indicating increased command responsibility and
very limited accountability for past crimes.
In Tikrit city and al-Bu ‘Ajil as well as in the nearby towns of al-Dur and al-Alam, satellite imagery analysis corroborated residents’ accounts of large-scale destruction after the defeat of ISIS. ISIS had destroyed some buildings before they were pushed out and some buildings were destroyed or damaged during military clashes. After the recapture of the area Iraqi government forces and militias used technical teams to defuse or blow up what they said were hundreds of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) that ISIS placed on roads and in buildings to slow their advance. Some damage may therefore be attributed to setting off these IEDs. However the scale and nature of the destruction, with scores of entire houses collapsed, point to the use of more powerful explosives used in a systematic way.
HRW report Ruinous Aftermath
http://www.hrw.org/node/281164
In Tikrit city and al-Bu ‘Ajil as well as in the nearby towns of al-Dur and al-Alam, satellite imagery analysis corroborated residents’ accounts of large-scale destruction after the defeat of ISIS. ISIS had destroyed some buildings before they were pushed out and some buildings were destroyed or damaged during military clashes. After the recapture of the area Iraqi government forces and militias used technical teams to defuse or blow up what they said were hundreds of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) that ISIS placed on roads and in buildings to slow their advance. Some damage may therefore be attributed to setting off these IEDs. However the scale and nature of the destruction, with scores of entire houses collapsed, point to the use of more powerful explosives used in a systematic way.
HRW report Ruinous Aftermath
http://www.hrw.org/node/281164