KUWAIT CITY - Canadian and American officials in Iraq are worried about a rising tide of bloody revenge killings and sectarian score-settling in communities newly liberated from the grip of Islamic State extremists.
Federal sources in both western countries say it's becoming an increasing preoccupation for the U.S.-led coalition.
An American official, speaking on background, says there have been multiple reports of rampage killings of Sunnis considered collaborators in Tikrit, Amerli, and Jurf al Sakhar, all of which were freed by Iraqi forces and Shiite-backed militias with the help of coalition air power.
A Canadian official says the question whether the wave of revenge attacks will grow even more fierce haunts western military planners as they weigh how and when to retake Iraq's second-largest -- mostly Sunni dominated -- city of Mosul.
Rosemary McCarney, president of Plan International Canada, which works with displaced families, says the scale of the humanitarian crisis in Iraq alone is already enormous with 2.7 million people driven from their homes.
She says the financial support of Canada and the international community is welcomed, but more needs to be done.
