A/HRC/28/18 11. The findings outlined in the present report are based on an analysis of first-hand information obtained through in-depth interviews conducted with over 100 victims and witnesses. The credibility of information was assessed on the basis of consistency among witness accounts and the existence of other corroborative information. The factual certainty of the findings is not uniform; for each of its findings, the mission specifies the degree to which it is confident that the incident occurred. 12. OHCHR thanks the Government of Iraq for extending full cooperation to the investigation mission and facilitating access to various parts of the country. D. Legal framework 13. Human rights law and international humanitarian law are applicable to Iraq. The events described in resolution S-22/1 amount to an armed conflict of a non-international character involving ISIL and other affiliated armed groups, on one side, and ISF and other armed forces which support them, on the other. The mission therefore relied on international humanitarian law applicable in armed conflicts of a non-international character as its specialized legal framework alongside international human rights law. 14. Iraq is a party to core international human rights treaties and a number of treaties containing rules applicable in non-international armed conflict. All parties to the conflict in Iraq are bound by applicable rules of international humanitarian law, including customary rules. The Government has faced tremendous challenges in ensuring law and order within its territory. Nevertheless, it must abide by its obligations under international law. This duty is explicitly recognized in the Constitution of Iraq (art. 8). 15. In resolution S-22/1, the member States stressed the need for those responsible for violations of international humanitarian law or serious violations and abuses of international human rights law to be held to account through appropriate mechanisms and called upon the Government of Iraq to ensure that all perpetrators were brought to justice, with a view to avoiding impunity and ensuring full accountability. In the light of those requirements, the mission focused on acts that would possibly constitute genocide, crimes against humanity or war crimes. II. Patterns of violations A. 1. Violations perpetrated by ISIL Attacks against religious and ethnic groups 16. The mission gathered reliable information about acts of violence perpetrated against civilians because of their affiliation or perceived affiliation to an ethnic or religious group. It is reasonable to conclude, in the light of the information gathered overall, that some of those incidents may constitute genocide. Other incidents may amount to crimes against humanity or war crimes. Ethnic and religious groups targeted by ISIL include Yezidis, Christians, Turkmen, Sabea-Mandeans, Kaka’e, Kurds and Shia. (a) Attacks against Yezidis 17. Based on interviews conducted with victims and witnesses, corroborated by other sources, the mission collected information regarding the killing of members of the Yezidi community and acts that caused serious bodily or mental harm to members of that group. The information also pointed to the intent of ISIL to destroy the Yezidi as a group when perpetrating those acts and to the existence of a manifest pattern of attacks against that 5