An armed Iraqi policeman stands guard near a cemetery during Eid al-Fitr celebrations, marking the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, in Baghdad July 28, 2014 (Photo: Reuters)
Human Rights Watch (HRW) accused "government-backed militias" in Iraq of killing Sunni civilians during the last five months.
In a report issued on Thursday, HRW said such acts occurred in the capital Baghdad and the two provinces of Diyala and Hilla., building its conclusions on witnesses and medical and government sources who claimed the militias responsible for each case.
"The killings and abductions mark a serious escalation in sectarian violence at a time when the armed conflict between government forces and Sunni insurgents is intensifying", the report was quoted as saying.
The international rights organisation accused the government of Nuri Al-Maliki of forming new security forces made up of militias as it has lost control over large portions of the state amid its confrontations with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) militants.
Iraq's government is taking little or no action as its militants kill people, the report stated, calling for holding those responsible for these killings to account.
"Murder is a crime against humanity when committed in a widespread or systematic manner as part of a policy of either a government or organized group to commit the crime", noted the report.
"Crimes against humanity are international crimes, meaning that those who can be held accountable include: those who commit the crime; those who order it, assist, or are otherwise complicit; and military and civilian commanders who knew or should have known their subordinates were committing the crimes and fail to take reasonable measures to prevent them", HRW said.
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