MILITANT Islamist group Isis has ordered all women and girls in an Iraq city under its control to undergo female genital mutilation (FGM), the UN said yesterday.
The fatwa, or religious edict, issued in Mosul applies to females aged between 11 and 46.
United Nations officials said the unprecedented decree was of grave concern and could affect nearly four million women and girls.
It comes as Iraq faces a radical Isis-led Sunni insurgency, with cities in the north-west coming under militant control.
The ritual cutting of girls' genitals is practised by some African, Middle Eastern and Asian communities in the belief it prepares them for adulthood or marriage.
FGM poses health risks including problems urinating, severe bleeding, infertility, infections and increased risk of newborn deaths in childbirth.
The UN General Assembly approved a resolution in December 2012 calling for member states to ban the practice.
Isis seized Iraq's second-largest city Mosul last month and has since taken over areas of the north-west and closed in on cities near Baghdad.