Islamic State has slaughtered more than 200 people near Mosul and taken thousands hostage to use as human shields, officials say.

The High Commissioner for Human Rights has confirmed the cult killed 232 people on Wednesday amid efforts to defend its position in Iraq.

Many of those shot were former Iraqi forces officers who refused to comply with orders, however civilians were also killed.

United Nations spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said there were also "credible reports" of IS abducting nearly 8,000 families or "tens of thousands" of people from districts around Mosul.

The civilians are understood to have been brought into the city and used as human shields nearby to military installations.


She said: "Isil's depraved, cowardly strategy is to attempt to use the presence of civilian hostages to render certain points, areas or military forces immune from military operations, effectively using tens of thousands of women, men and children as human shields."

A surprise IS attack outside Kirkuk earlier this week

A massive operation to drive the militants from Mosul began last week, with US military officials reporting that Iraqi forces have since retaken 40 villages from IS.

US Air Force Brigadier General Matthew C Isler said that "momentum" is still on their side with Iraqi troops consolidating gains made east and south of the city earlier this week.

The offensive to retake Mosul - which fell to IS in a matter of days in summer 2014 - is the largest military operation in Iraq since the 2003 US-led invasion.

Humanitarian crisis intensifies in Mosul

Brigadier Isler said the US-led coalition has stepped up air strikes against the militants, carrying out three times as many as it did during previous campaigns to drive IS from other Iraqi cities.

The UN has expressed concern over the mass movement of people which is now taking place, as displaced civilians attempt to flee the fighting.