As the battle to liberate the Iraqi city of Mosul from the terrorist group ISIL intensifies, reports continue to emerge that the extremists are using civilians as “human shields.”

That’s according to the UN human rights office which has received “very alarming information” that supports the belief that people living in areas near the city are being forced to move to areas where ISIL fighters are located.

Mosul has been under ISIL control since 2014 and Iraqi government forces launched an offensive last week to free the city, which is located in the north of the country.

Daniel Johnson has been speaking to UN human rights office spokesperson Rupert Colville.

Duration: 4’23”