Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi said in a conference on Saturday that he ordered the military to stop bombing civilian areas held by the Islamic State (ISIL), reports said.

al-Abadi prioritized the lives of innocent civilians as the Iraqi army is struggling to recover the towns seized by the ISIL this summer.

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Speaking in Baghdad at a conference to support Iraqis displaced by the war, al-Abadi berated ISIL for using civilians as a human shield against the Iraqi military forces.

He accused the Jihadist extremists of "hiding behind the civilians."

"I issued this order two days ago because we do not want to see more innocent victims falling in the places and provinces controlled by Daesh," al-Abadi said in his statement, using the Arabic name for ISIL.

However, "the government will not relent in its efforts to hunt down ISIL members wherever they are," he added.

He guaranteed that military operations will push ISIL away from its northern and western territories, while minimizing civilian casualties.

Nickolay Mladenov, a United Nations ambassador to Iraq, expressed appreciation towards al-Abadi's action to protect its citizens in the conflict.

Mutahidoon, an Iraqi Sunni party, also welcomed al-Abadi's commitment and said that it would help direct Sunni residents against the ISIL forces.

The positive reaction to al-Abadi's statement was a stark contrast to criticisms against his predecessor Nuri al-Maliki's battle strategy against the ISIL during his reign.

For one, al-Maliki was criticized for authorizing air strikes on ISIL-controlled regions that were also densely populated. Human Rights Watch in July warned that the strikes were gravely affecting ordinary residents.

The agency also admonished the government to avoid using improvised and less accurate "barrel bombs" even if they were cheap.

Meanwhile, the United States military carried out two air strikes near the Mosul dam on Friday, destroying an armed vehicle and a mortar emplacement.

The U.S. has conducted a total of 160 air strikes in Iraq since its air military campaign started, reports said.

TagsIraq, ISIL, Haidar al-Abadi, Nuri al-Maliki, Nickolay Mladenov, Daesh, Iraqi Insurgency