Top Arab ISIS Turbans die in Mosul airstrike
Mosul (IraqiNews.com) Iraqi air forces hit Islamic State locations in western Mosul on Sunday, killing a number of leaders, mostly Arabs, as operations continue to clear the region from militants.
In a statement on Sunday, the air force mentioned that depending on information from the military intelligence department, the aircraft destroyed a site for IS leaders, killing most of them including Abdullah al-Hayyaf, a Saudi national, Khaled Mohamed Hazzaa al-Shemary, a Saudi national, and Abdel Rahman Mohamed Murad, Iraqi Broadcasting Networks reported.
Mosul is the Islamic State’s last stronghold in Iraq. Eastern Mosul and about half of the west were recaptured from IS in January, after a US-backed offensive was launched in October. A new offensive started in February to retake the west. The government troops have recently pushed deeper into the Old City, a densely-populated and -structured area which military officials view as central to the desired victory over IS militants.
Battles in the west are believed to be much more difficult due to the density of residential areas and the high number of civilians who the commanders believe are used as human shields by IS members.
ISIS bomb expert dies in explosion in western Mosul
Nineveh (IraqiNews.com) A prominent booby trapping expert with the Islamic State has been killed along with four of his assistants in Tal Afar district, a strategic IS stronghold in western Mosul, a local source from Nineveh province said on Sunday.
The explosion took place in a residential building while attempting to booby trap it, the source added.
Alsumaria News quoted the source as saying, “Abu Hamza al-Tounsy, a prominent explosive expert with IS, was killed along with four of his aides in a two-storey residential building on the boundaries of Tal Afar, west of Mosul, while booby trapping it.”
“Tounsy has become famous over the past few months being one of the experts of booby trapping buildings and houses,” the source said, adding that “he came from Raqqa, Syria, in support of IS efforts in booby trapping.”
Pro-government militias, al-Hashd al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilization Units) have been recapturing areas around Tal Afar from IS. The Shi’ite militias taking part in the Mosul campaign began to close in on Tal Afar late last year, after the offensive was launched.
Mosul is the Islamic State’s last stronghold in Iraq. Eastern Mosul was recaptured from IS in January. The forces recently regained control over strategic areas in the western region after a US-backed offensive was launched in October. A new offensive started in February to retake the west. The government troops have recently pushed deeper into the Old City, a densely-populated and -structured area which military officials view as central to the desired victory over IS militants.
Battles in the west are believed to be much more difficult due to the density of residential areas and the high number of civilians who the commanders believe are used as human shields by IS members.
Iraqi forces capture cement plant in western Mosul
Mosul (IraqiNews.com) Iraqi Ministry of Defense’s War Media Cell announced on Sunday, that security forces managed to liberate Badush Cement Plant, in western Mosul.
Commander of Operations, Lieutenant General Abdel Amir Yarallah, said in a press statement that troops of the army’s 9th armored brigade fully liberated Badush Cement Plant, in western the city of Mosul.
Security forces also raised Iraqi flag over the building of the plant, after inflicting heavy human and material losses on the enemy, Yarallah added.
Earlier this month, CTS Officer, Major Ali Mohsen, said that the Islamic State group set Badush Cement Factory ablaze, after looting its contents.
Joint security forces continue advancing into western Mosul, where they liberated a number of areas, today, including al-Orouba neighborhood, the industrial area, Wadi Ayn neighborhood and Rajm al-Hadid area.
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14 ISIS Turbans die in airstrike near Serg-Khana region
Mosul (IraqiNews.com) Iraqi fighter jets killed 14 Islamic State members on Sunday when they pounded their training camp in an area west of Mosul, according to military media.
The Defense Ministry’s War Media Cell said the strikes targeted an IS training camp in Serg-Khana region. Among those killed was Abu Thabet al-Ansari, a senior area commander within IS in western Mosul.
Iraqi government troops, backed by air forces from the U.S.-led coalition and paramilitary troops, have been struggling to clear western Mosul from Islamic State militants since operations launched on February to recapture that region in February. Troops took over the eastern part of the city in January.
Airstrikes by the international coalition have been blamed over the past week for hundreds of civilian casualties, but the Iraqi command has also accused Islamic State of using civilians as human shields and fabricating reports of civilian casualties to tarnish the security campaign against the group.
Iraqi troops have been pressing on central Mosul’s Old City, a strategic target which commanders believe could put the scale of battles in their favor if recaptured.
The conflict in Mosul has so far displaced 433.000 since the launch of the campaign against IS in October. More than 200.000 were displaced in the western region alone since February.
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Iraqi forces capture Badush dam
Mosul (IraqiNews.com) Commander of We Are Coming, Nineveh Operations Command, Lieutenant General Abdel Amir Yarallah, announced on Sunday liberating Badush Dam, in western Mosul, and raising Iraqi flag over it.
Yarallah said in a brief statement that troops of the army’s 9th armored brigade liberated Badush Dam, and raised Iraqi flag over it, after inflicting heavy human and material losses on the enemy.
Earlier today, ‘We Are Coming, Nineveh’ Operations Command announced liberating Badush Cement Plant, al-Orouba neighborhood and the industrial area, in western Mosul.
Meanwhile, joint security forces, backed by the Army Aviation, Iraqi Air Force and US-led coalition air force, continue their extensive military operations to liberate the western side of the city of Mosul, as well as driving out the Islamic State group.
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Iraqi militias evacuate 450 families from western Mosul
Mosul (IraqiNews.com) Pro-government militias of Al-Hashd Al-Shaabi troops evacuated on Sunday 450 families from the town of Adaya, western Mosul.
The troops, in collaboration with their security forces, were able evacuate the families and transfer them to safe places.
According to the Iraqi government, 433.000 persons were displaced since operations against Islamic State were launched in October to retake Mosul.
More than 200.000 people were displaced from the western part of the city since operations started in February to retake that region, the Ministry of Migration and Displacement said Sunday.
At least 400.000 civilians are expected by the United Nations to be displaced due to operations in Mosul. In October, upon the launch of Mosul battles in October, UN said that a total of 1.5 million could leave homes.
Consisting of 66 militia groups, al-Hashd al-Shaabi, also known as Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) is considered one of the largest militias in Iraq. It was established in 2014 by a fatwa (religious edict) to fight the Islamic State.
In late 2016, the Iraqi parliament recognized the militia as a national armed force.
However, Kurdish MP Arafat Karam told Bas News on Saturday that the US administration urged Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi to dissolve the Shi’ite militia.