Iraqi forces on Thursday (February 23rd) found documents in one of the "Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant" hideouts in al-Zuhour neighbourhood that called for killing all intellectuals and scientists in Mosul who rejected the group, Ninawa operations commander Nejim Eddin Karim al-Jubury told Diyaruna.

"ISIL has killed more than 100 clerics, academics and intellectuals in Mosul who refused to heed its calls and whom the group considered to be a real threat," al-Jubury said.

Documents found at ISIL's hideout "confirm the need to assassinate" intellectuals "as they pose a real threat to the terrorist group’s project", he said. "This was why ISIL got rid of all those who rejected its calls and ideology."

Iraqi forces also arrested 18 ISIL fighters who were hiding in the recently liberated eastern part of Mosul, the Interior Ministry said Friday (February 24th).

The wanted individuals were captured during a search operation in the Cairo neighbourhood of east Mosul, the ministry said in a statement.

"The operation was based on intelligence and the co-operation of residents who have suffered from the terrorist group’s crimes for the last two years," the statement said.