|
Western Mosul reconquest
 Iraqi police kill 79 IS militants in Mosul’s Old City, free 550 civilians Mosul (IraqiNews.com) Iraqi government forces on Sunday recaptured more areas and killed 79 Islamic State militants in Mosul’s Old City as they pushed to the last few meters held by the extremist group. The Defense Ministry’s War Media Cell said the army’s Counter-Terrorism Forces recaptured Mekkawi area in the Old City and raised Iraqi flags above the area’s buildings. Federal Police chief, Lt. Gen. Shaker Jawdat, said his forces killed the militants and set 550 civilians free after taking over Bab Jadid neighborhood in the Old City and consummated the recapture of al-Shifa district, a medical and health facilities hub north of the medieval district. Jawdat revealed that civilians’ tip-offs led to the arrest of tens of militants hiding in the middle of civilians evacuated by the forces from the battlefield. He also said forces took over the Bilal al-Habashi mosque in the Old City. Some generals were quoted saying there were less than 200 fighters in the city, adding that the forces reached the western bank of the Tigris River. Islamic State gunfires, bombs kill 28 civilians in Mosul’s Old City Mosul (IraqiNews.com) Gunfire and landmines planted by Islamic State militants killed 28 civilians in western Mosul’s Old City on Sunday as operations continue to clear the last few meters held by the group. Maj. Maan Omar, from the Nineveh police department, told BasNews that 28 civilians, including 13 children and seven elders, died from gunshots and IED explosions while fleeing al-Midan area in the Old City late Saturday. Omar said the dead bodies of those civilians remain in the streets and alleyways of that area since then. According to a monthly death count released by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI), Nineveh province topped the civilian death tally for the month of June with 289 deaths. A total of 411 deaths was counted during that month, besides 294 injuries. Posted by: trailing wife 2017-07-03 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=491648 |