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Western Mosul Offensive News

PMUs launch new phase of offensives on western Mosul’s Tal Afar

Nineveh (IraqiNews.com) Al-Hashd al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilization Units) have announced a new phase of operations targeting the liberation of the Islamic State western Mosul stronghold of Tal Afar, and recaptured two villages upon starting.

The PMU’s media service said in a statement that the force launched a sixth phase of operations targeting areas south of the strategic town. It said the forces took over the villages of Kharabat al-Jeheish and al-Sharia. The troops also invaded Ein al-Tallawi village under an aerial bombardment from Iraqi jets, killing a suicide bomber and destroying a booby-trapped vehicle. IS fighters attempted to stymie the troops advances with booby-trapped herds of sheep, according to al-Hashd’s media.

The Iraqi government declared last Sunday it launched a new, decisive stage of operations against Islamic State in western Mosul, having retaken the eastern region late January after three months of battles.

Al-Hashd al-Shaabi, a conglomerate of Shia volunteer militias, have been actively fighting Islamic State militants on the Iraqi government’s side since the group emerged in 2014 to proclaim an “Islamic Caliphate” in Iraq.

Peshmerga not involved in western Mosul battles: ministry

Erbil (IraqiNews.com) Kurdistan’s army forces (Peshmerga) are not partaking in the Iraqi forces’ battle against Islamic State in western Mosul, its ministry has said.

Jabbar Yawar, secretary-general of the Peshmerga Ministry, told Bas News that the force maintains deployment at regions it had recaptured earlier from Islamic State militants. He added that no agreement had been made with the government in Baghdad regarding participation in western Mosul battles which, he said, are solely led by Iraqi forces.

Western-trained and armed Peshmerga forces had fought on the Iraqi government’s side in the operations in eastern Mosul which launched in October and ended with the retaking of the region late January. Iraqi troops, backed by an air and ground backing from a U.S.-led military coalition, began Sunday a new offensive to retake the western region, IS’s last major bastion in Iraq.

A controversy emerged after the launch of operations in October as Kurdish officials insisted to maintain areas recaptured by Peshmerga as Kurdish territory, while Baghdad reiterated that Kurdish troops were required to withdraw from those regions.

Kurdistan gained autonomous governance based on the 2005 constitution, but is still considered a part of Iraq. The region was created in 1970 based on an agreement with the Iraqi government, ending years of fierce fighting.

Iraqi forces move towards Mosul airport, biggest mass grave found

Nineveh (IraqiNews.com) Iraqi government forces moved Wednesday towards Mosul Airport in the western side of the city, one day after commanders said intense bombing forced Islamic State militants to evacuate the facility.

Mawazin news website quoted military sources saying that joint forces from the Federal Police and Rapid Response squads moved toward the airport early Wednesday, backed by an aerial and artillery cover from the U.S.-led international military coalition.

The source said special bomb squads are leading the advances to defuse landmines planted by the extremist group on the way to the airport.

Alsumaria News quoted local sources as saying that intense airstrikes since early Wednesday eliminated an entire convoy of ten Islamic State vehicles laden with weapons and fighters. The sources added that the group executed nine members for failures and collapses in its defense lines at the nearby Ghizlani camp.

On Tuesday, news reports quoted Federal Police chief, Shaker Jawdat, as saying that intense bombardment on the airport had killed dozens of IS fighters and forced the group to withdraw from the facility. The forces had captured the al-Bouseif hills overlooking the airport and invaded the Ghizlani military camp which stretches nearby.

The Iraqi government declared Sunday it had launched a new, decisive stage of operations against Islamic State in western Mosul, having retaken the eastern region late January after three months of battles. Mosul is IS’s largest urban stronghold in Iraq, and its recapture would be critical in ending the group’s existence in Iraq.

Meanwhile, Iranian news channel al-Alam’s website said Wednesday Iraqi forces ran into a mass grave containing 2400 dead bodies at Arghanti village in southern Mosul. The website said the forces were working with experts to identify the deceased.

Several mass graves of civilians and security personnel executed by IS extremists have been found since government troops launched operations in October to retake Mosul.

IS issue death warrant for fleeing leader, alarmed by hostile graffiti

Nineveh (IraqiNews.com) The Islamic State has issued a death warrant for a senior leader who escaped battles against security forces in Mosul Airport, and alerted members over hostile graffiti painted in streets in the western region.

A local source told Alsumaria News on Wednesday that Islamic State ordered members to kill “Abu Osama” once found. He was the organization official at al-Ghizlani military camp, a strategic IS bastion which Iraqi government forces invaded on Tuesday.

A source had told Alsumaria News earlier on Wednesday that IS already executed nine members over collapses in the group’s defense lines in Ghizlani.

Meanwhile, another local source told Alsumaria News that IS members invaded three districts in western Mosul, including Islah al-Zerai, after they found hostile graffiti directed against the group and painted on the walls at some streets.

“Death to Daesh (IS), down with the Islamic State,” read some of the phrases, said the source, who revealed that the group arrested 20 people in relation to the incident.

36 IS members killed in western, southern Mosul strikes, including mayor

Nineveh (IraqiNews.com) Airstrikes on Islamic State locations in southern and western Mosul left 35 members killed on Wednesday, including a regional mayor, according to military sources.

Colonel Khodeir Saleh, from the Federal Police service, told Bas News that 35 Islamic State extremists were killed in an artillery and airstrikes by jets and cannons from the U.S.-led coalition in southern Mosul. He did not name the exact location of the strikes, but added that they coincided with other strikes at the Mosul Airport, a major IS stronghold targeted by Iraqi forces.

Meanwhile, al-Hashd al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilization Units) said through its media service that Iraqi fighter jets killed the Islamic State’s so-called “wali” (governor) of the town of Tal Afar, Mostafa Youssef, when they bombarded the village of Ein Tallawi in western Mosul.

Islamic State drone kills 5 civilians, 5 militants arrested in eastern Mosul

Nineveh (IraqiNews.com) A weaponized drone guided by Islamic State militants killed five civilians in eastern Mosul, while five group members were arrested there on Wednesday, according to security sources.

Anadolu Agency quoted Brig. Gen. Mohamed al-Bostani, from the army’s 16th division, saying that an advanced drone dropped two rockets on al-Rashidiya, northeast of Mosul, killing five civilians and wounding three others.

Bostani said the situation in eastern Mosul, which Iraqi forces recaptured from IS late January, was still “unstable” and in need for more intelligence and security effort.

Since recapturing eastern Mosul, Islamic State militants attacked liberated areas in the west with drones and sneaking militants, killing several civilians and security personnel. Iraqi officials have also voiced fears that dormant IS cells in those areas could pose a security threat.

Shafaq news website quoted a security source on Wednesday saying that five Islamic State militants were arrested in al-Zharaa district. They were found inside a house whose owners migrated to refugee camps.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Birg. Gen. Abdulaziz al-Na’as, from the army’s 9th division, said the supreme security command ordered his division and Federal Police forces to halt their advances towards residential areas in western Mosul fearing losses in personnel and equipment.

He said orders were given to focus on the liberation of Mosul Airport and the adjacent Ghizlani military camp.

Federal Police announces evacuating 480 IDPs west of Mosul

Nineveh (IraqiNews.com) Federal Police Command announced on Wednesday evacuating 480 displaced persons from al-Yarmouk Village, west of Mosul.

The command said in a brief statement, “480 displaced persons were evacuated from al-Yarmouk Village, and transferred to the liberated southern villages.”

Al-Hashd al-Shaabi cut off main road between Mosul and Tal Afar

Nineveh (IraqiNews.com) Al-Hashd al-Shaabi announced on Wednesday cutting off the main road linking between the city of Mosul and Tal Afar District, west of the city, while pointed out that its forces are participating in the battles to liberate western Mosul.

Spokesman for al-Hashd al-Shaabi, Ahmed al-Asadi, said in a speech during a press conference in Baghdad, “We don’t expect the battle to be neither easy nor short, and the blessings of our martyrs and casualties allow us to achieve victories.”

“Security forces cut off the main road linking between Tal Afar and the city of Mosul, while the 26th brigade arrived in the village of al-Sahaji to secure this road,” Asadi explained.

“The 26th brigade of al-Hashd al-Shaabi is participating in the battle to liberate western Mosul,” Asadi further added.
Posted by: trailing wife 2017-02-23
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=481919