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Iraq | ||||
As offensive nears, Islamic State rigs Mosul with bombs | ||||
2016-10-15 | ||||
Mosul, home to up to 1.5 million people, has been the headquarters of Islamic State's self-declared caliphate in northern Iraq since 2014 and the militants are making complex preparations to prevent Iraqi security forces, backed by a U.S.-led coalition, taking it back. The battle for the city, expected later this month, will help shape the future of Iraq and the legacy of U.S. President Barack Obama.
The "They are digging in to fight for Mosul. They are more cautious, shaving their beards to blend in with the population and constantly moving their headquarters around," said former finance and foreign minister Hoshiyar Zebari, a senior member of the Kurdistan Democratic Party with access to intelligence on Islamic State movements in Mosul. He and Col. John Dorrian, a spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition, both said the group was moving men and equipment through underground tunnels. "You see a Islamic State Aid groups have expressed concern over the prospect that many civilians could be killed in the fighting. About 200,000 people are expected to flee within the first two weeks of fighting, said Lise Grande, the U.N. humanitarian coordinator for Iraq.
The One resident said children as young as eight, sometimes armed with pistols and knives, have been deployed across the city to monitor and inform on the population. The children recruit other children for the same task. "It’s a really heartbreaking scene to see Mosul’s kids becoming future terrorists. I taught my seven-year-old son all about autism to pretend he’s mentally ill to avoid being recruited by Daesh," the resident said by WhatsApp, using an Arab acronym for Islamic State. "They are desperate and they could force even children to fight once government troops are at the doors of Mosul." Other residents say they have begun using older mobile phones which cannot carry applications like Viber, WhatsApp or Facebook messenger, because Islamic State "It would make it like hell if they placed bombs in each hole," one of the residents said. The campaign could either increase the chances of a unified Iraq or break it up if sectarian clashes follow as various groups compete for influence in the country's second largest city, Iraqi officials say.
Zebari said there were signs of a nascent resistance movement in the city, where some residents have spray painted "wanted" signs on the houses of Islamic State “They are desperate, they look afraid , this is the first time they use their women in searching houses," a Mosul resident, who asked not to be named for safety reasons, told Reuters over social media. "Two days ago, I rushed to my house door after hearing repeated knocks and when I opened the door I saw three women in Islamic hijab showing only their eyes with three Daesh All the residents said the "They carry out the booby trapping of the bridges during the night to avoid air strikes," said one. Some Islamic State The security forces have been buoyed by victories against the group in Falluja and Ramadi, but face an additional challenge as Iraqi officials squabble over the composition of the fighting force for Mosul, Iraqi officials said. The primary goal is to keep Iranian-backed Shi'ite militias out of Mosul to avoid sectarian clashes in a Sunni-majority city. Shi'ite militias will be allowed to take the lead in operations to retake Hawija, a nearby town controlled by Islamic State They hope that driving Islamic State from Mosul will debilitate the "They could go underground and carry out terrorist acts," Zebari said. "But not as an organized movement." | ||||
Posted by:Steve White |