The Iranian opposition movement, National Council of Resistance of Iran, announced today that Iraqi military forces have started an attack on camp Ashraf north of Baghdad.
According to statements released by NCRI, so far at least 11 (the actual number later announced was 36, SF 27June2011) residents in Ashraf have been killed by Iraqi gunfire. Heavy machine guns and sharp shooters are targeting unarmed residents.
Ashraf residents are mainly members of the Mujahedin Organization of Iran PMOI / MEK.
The attack on city began at 4:45 local time. The Iraqi forces number to 2500. They come in armored vehicles.
The NCRI has called on American government and United Nations to intervine.
Ashraf is an unarmed camp occupied by 3400 members of the Mujahedin organization (PMOI/MEK) which is the main Iranian opposition movement. The group disarmed after the Iraq war and went under the protection of the US forces.
The residents of the camp later received “Protected Persons” status under the Fourth Geneva Convention According to which any attack on or harassment of such persons is considered a war crime.
Since 2009 Americans released the protection of the camp to Iraqi forces. But Iraqi forces attacked the camp on July 2009 killing 11 people.
Many international human rights organization condemned the attack including Amnesty International. Since the attack Iraqi forces have continued to harass and intimidate the residents.
Earlier in another statement NCRI complained regarding 30 armoured vehicles that had occupied the north part of the camp.
