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Escaping from Mosul, but with a Syrian accent

In this Sunday, Nov. 12, 2016 photo, a man who identified himself as Omar Danoun talks on the phone during an interview with The Associated press in Gogjali, Iraq. Danoun was taken into custody later in the interview by Iraqi soldiers who overheard and said he seemed to have a Syrian Accent, and who believed he was an Islamic Stage group member. (AP Photo/NishNalbandian)
In this Sunday, Nov. 12, 2016 photo, a man who identified himself as Omar Danoun talks on the phone during an interview with The Associated press in Gogjali, Iraq. Danoun was taken into custody later in the interview by Iraqi soldiers who overheard and said he seemed to have a Syrian Accent, and who believed he was an Islamic Stage group member. (AP Photo/NishNalbandian) In this Sunday, Nov. 12, 2016 photo, a man who identified himself as Omar Danoun talks on the phone during an interview with The Associated press in Gogjali, Iraq. Danoun was taken into custody later in the interview by Iraqi soldiers who overheard and said he seemed to have a Syrian Accent, and who believed he was an Islamic Stage group member. (AP Photo/NishNalbandian)

By Associated Press 6 min read

MOSUL, Iraq (AP) – He claimed to be a native of Mosul and said he had just escaped his embattled neighborhood. When his cell phone chirped cheerfully, he said it was his mother calling and picked up.

But the clean-shaven man seemed to have a Syrian accent, not Iraqi. His conversation with whoever was on the other end of the line was strange at times as he gave details on the situation in the nearby districts. “We’re wearing enough and we have everything we need,” he assured the caller.

Iraqi troops nearby eyed him suspiciously as he spoke to The Associated Press on Nov. 12 just after he showed up with his wife and toddler daughter among dozens of people fleeing fighting in Mosul. The troops then took him aside and detained him, believing he was an Islamic State group member.

The man illustrated the difficulty of knowing friend from foe in a chaotic war. Iraqi forces assaulting the city are on the lookout for IS fighters or members trying to slip out of the city with other residents, whether to escape or to sneak behind the lines to carry out attacks. A strange accent or odd behavior can draw suspicion.

Government forces are already struggling to deal with thousands of civilians trying to escape the fighting and thousands more still in the middle of it, hunkered down in their homes. One Iraqi official told the AP that 25 militants had previously been caught hiding among refugees.