ISIS militants killed more than 300 members of a Sunni tribe in a recent series of executions , the Iraqi government said Monday . Some of the 322 people executed were women and children , Iraq 's Ministry of Human Rights said . The dead belonged to the Albu Nimr tribe , known for its fighting skill . Pentagon spokesman Rear Adm. John Kirby said Washington has n't been able to confirm those figures , but `` we have no reason to doubt their authenticity . '' The latest incident came Saturday when 75 members of Albu Nimr were taken from their homes and killed in the desert near the town of Hit , said one of the tribe 's leaders , Sheikh Nabil Al-Ga'oud . It has been unusual for ISIS militants , who refer to themselves as the Islamic State , to kill women and children . `` We are not surprised by their actions , '' Al-Ga'oud told CNN . `` Their religious leaders have given them an order to kill all of our tribe and take everything that we own because we are fighting against ISIS . '' He said nine children and six women were killed in Saturday 's attack . A spokeswoman for the U.S. State Department condemned the ISIS attacks . `` This proves , once again , that ( ISIS ) does not represent anything but its warped ideology and provides more evidence , if any were needed , why our coalition partners , including Iraqis from every background , must work together to defeat these terrorists , '' Jen Psaki said at the department 's daily briefing . The Albu Nimr , who number in the tens of thousands , are ready to fight to take back the town of Hit , Al-Ga'oud said Saturday . The city was seized last month by ISIS fighters after weeks of fighting the tribesmen . Hit and neighboring Ramadi were holdouts in the Sunni-dominated Anbar province after ISIS swept in from Syria , taking town after town in the western province . Albu Nimr tribesmen were among those who fought them until they began running of out weapons and supplies . Al-Ga'oud said an attack is `` imminent , '' adding that `` we are getting the support we need , '' in an apparent reference to backing by Iraq 's central government . A 2003 Brookings Institution report observed that , though most Iraqi Sunni tribes were loyal to Saddam Hussein in the days when he ran the country , the Albu Nimr tribe had mounted a protest against the former Iraqi strongman in 1995 after the execution of a noted member . The protest was put down by paramilitary forces loyal to Saddam . In general , however , Saddam respected the Albu Nimr . Since Saddam 's fall , they 've been tapped to oppose al Qaeda in Iraq . They were also part of last year 's Sunni uprising against the former Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and his Shiite-dominated government . They have been fighting ISIS but say they have n't received much support from the Iraqi government and international coalition members . Kirby said U.S. advisers were working hard to improve the competence and capability of Iraq 's army . `` The Iraqis are pushing back . They are going on an offensive against ( ISIS ) throughout the country , '' he said . `` Now it is not a major offensive , but they are reaching out to some areas . ''
Pentagon says death toll number is probably accurate . Iraq government puts death toll from ISIS executions at 322 from one Sunni tribe . Some of those killed were women and children , tribal leader claims . U.S. says killings are further proof Iraqis must work with coalition to defeat ISIS .