|
Mosul Offensive News
Fotos showed bombed out Mosul bridgesNineveh (IraqiNews.com) Aerial view photos have show damage dealt to the five bridges connecting the east and west banks of Tigris River in Mosul by US-led aircraft. The images, posted by the US-based think-tank, Stratfor, show the damage sustained by the bridges in operations seeking to close in on Islamic State militants in the east, where Iraqi troops have been advancing and clearing villages from the militant group since the launch of their major operation mid October. Commanders at the US-spearheaded Global Coalition to Counter ISIL have recently clarified that airstrikes against the bridges were aimed at rendering them unusable, rather than to completely demolish them. There are, however, fears that the damage could hinder attempts by civilians in the city to flee from ISIS’s grip, especially with estimates noting that more than one million civilians are currently within the group’s hold to use them as future human shields. Iraqi militia drives back ISIS attack in Tal Afar Nineveh (IraqiNews.com) Badr Organization said Sunday its fighters held off an attack by Islamic State militants near the strategic Tal Afar airport in Mosul. The militia, fighting under the flag of the broader al-Hashd al-Shaabi, said in a statement that a brigade from the militia “fought off an attack by ISIS on the village of Ein al-Hossan near Tal Afar airport,” adding that the forces seized 8 Hummer vehicles, a bulldozer and belonging to the extremist group, and detonated a booby-trapped car. Al-Hashd al-Shaabi recaptured the strategic airport of Tal Afar last month, celebrating the takeover as a major step towards besieging the ISIS stronghold town, encircling the militants inside Iraq and cutting their supply and escape routes with Syria. Iraqi government forces, backed by volunteer militias and US-led international troops have been on a wide-scale campaign to clear Mosul from Islamic State militants since mid October. Government and militia commanders have said that operations succeeded in largely isolating Nineveh from the rest of Iraqi provinces. Iraqi forces destroy 2 ISIS vehicles Nineveh (IraqiNews.com) An Officer at Nineveh Operations Command announced on Sunday, that security forces detonated two booby-trapped vehicles belonging to the Islamic State group, in eastern Mosul. Captain Iyad Ziad said in a press statement, “Iraqi army forces managed to detonate two booby-trapped vehicles belonging to the Islamic State extremist group in al-Bakr area, in eastern the province.” “Iraqi forces intensified their presence in liberated neighborhoods to prevent the ISIS militants from sneaking into these areas,” Ziad added. In a related context, nearly 25 civilians, mostly women and children, were killed, while 80 others were wounded in the last few hours by rockets shelling launched by the ISIS on the areas of al-Zohour, al-Akhaa, al-Bakr, al-Qadisiyah, al-Tahrir, al-Mharebeen, al-Zahraa and al-Jame’a, in eastern Mosul. Posted by: badanov 2016-12-05 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=474907 |