Mosul offensive begins anew
Mosul (IraqiNews.com) Iraqi government forces have announced resumption of military operations in Central Mosul, after being suspended for few days.
“Military operations were resumed in Central Mosul with support from U.S.-led coalition jets,” Maj. Gen. Najm al-Jubouri, head of the Joint Operations Command’s Mosul operations told BasNews on Wednesday. “Troops are opening safe passageways to get civilians out of the battlefields.”
“Sporadic confrontations started early on the day between the troops and Islamic State militants in Mosul’s Old City,” he added.
“Eight IS members were killed, dozens were injured in Central Mosul,” Jubouri said.
On Tuesday, local sources were quoted by Shafaaq News as saying that IS started to forcibly evacuate residents out of al-Saa, Serjkhana, Bab Jadid and Bab al-Beed in the Old City toward the neighboring districts of Mashahda and Zanjili.
However, Commanders from the Iraqi side and the allied U.S.-led coalition accused IS of using civilians in Mosul as human shields since operations launched in October to retake the city. Security troops were prompted to change tactics and slow down the pace at many occasions to ensure safety of civilians.
On Monday, the Federal Police Chief Lt. Gen. Shaker Jawdat said its troops brought down 60 percent of IS defenses around the Old City.
Eastern Mosul was recaptured in January after three months of fighting. Another offensive was launched mid February to retake the western region.
Troops have been struggling to fully retake central Mosul’s Old City, a densely-populated and structured area which generals view as vital for victory over IS.
Militia forces arrive in Mosul
Mosul (IraqiNews.com) Interior Ministry’s Rapid Response Forces announced arrival of Al-Raad combat force at Mosul’s Old City, coming from Baghdad.
Captain Adnan al-Khafaji, from the ministry forces, was quoted by Middle East Online as saying that Al-Raad force arrived few days ago in the Old City. “The force, along with Federal Police and the Rapid Response Forces started on Tuesday raiding the Old City amid fierce resistance by the Islamic State militants.”
“Al-Raad force is well-trained on street wars as well as protecting civilians and their properties,” he added.
Khafaji revealed that “suspending the operations helped IS reinforce its fighting capabilities and develop confrontation methods.”
Previously on Tuesday, Maj. Gen. Najm al-Jubouri, head of the Joint Operations Command’s Mosul Operations indicated opened safe passageways to get civilians out of the battlefields as sporadic confrontations started earlier on the day between the troops and IS in the Old City.
On Monday, the Federal Police Chief Lt. Gen. Shaker Jawdat said its troops brought down 60 percent of IS defenses around the Old City.
Eastern Mosul was recaptured in January after three months of fighting. Another offensive was launched mid February to retake the western region.
Troops have been struggling to fully retake central Mosul’s Old City, a densely-populated and structured area which generals view as vital for victory over IS.
34 Iraqi soldiers dead in 18 days of operations
Mosul (IraqiNews.com) Iraqi security forces lost 34 personnel of multiple ranks during encounters with Islamic State militants in western Mosul over the past 18 days, according to a senior army officer.
Col. Salman Okashat, from the army’s elite Counter-Terrorism Forces, told Anadolu Agency that those fell down during operations to recapture the districts of Yarmouk and Matahen, which troops took over recently.
Okashat said 76 other security members were wounded during the battles, adding that the forces were currently aiming at three other districts in the same scope of operations.
Iraqi government troops, backed by a U.S.-led coalition and paramilitary forces, recaptured eastern Mosul in January after three months of fighting, and launched a renewed offensive in February to retake the western region.
The Joint Operations Command said Tuesday that Islamic State militants were only in control over 6.8 percent of territory of Iraq.
The Iraqi Joint Operations Command, which spearheads the campaign against IS in Mosul, has never given official tallies of its victims, and reports in that respect have relied on sporadic counts by officers in the field.
Late March, the U.S. Central Command said 284 Iraqi troopers were killed since operations began in western Mosul, while 490 were killed during battles for the east. The Iraqi command had dismissed the numbers as exaggerated.
17 ISIS Bad Guys die in western Mosul
Mosul (IraqiNews.com) Seventeen Islamic State members were killed on Wednesday in west of Mosul, the Iraqi army’s elite Counter-Terrorism Forces (ICTF) declared.
“The forces raided al-Abar area killing 17 IS members,” Major Ali Mohsen, of ICTF, told BasNews. “Security troops arrested six IS female members of different Arab nationalities, working for the so-called hisbah (vigilantism) office in the region.”
“Troops liberated around 40 percent of Al-Abar region,” he said adding that battles are still ongoing.
Meanwhile, Abdul-Ghani al-Assadi, commander of the army’s elite Counter-Terrorism Forces, said that the special forces stormed two districts of al-Abar and al-Tanak in western Mosul to drive IS out.
On Monday, Assadi said the forces completed “two thirds” of missions assigned to them as part of the Mosul liberation campaign, taking over 28 districts out of 38 on their targets list.
Iraqi government forces announced earlier on Wednesday resumption of military operations in Central Mosul, after being suspended for few days.
Federal Police Chief Lt. Gen. Shaker Jawdat said on Monday that its troops brought down 60 percent of IS defenses around the Old City.
Eastern Mosul was recaptured in January after three months of fighting. Another offensive was launched mid February to retake the western region.
Airstrike smokes 15 ISIS Turbans
Mosul (IraqiNews.com) Fifteen Islamic State militants were killed in an airstrike in al-Hadar region in Nineveh, western Mosul, according to Iraqi government.
In a statement, the Defense Ministry’s War Media Cell said on Wednesday that “an airstrike targeted a gathering of IS militants in al-Shaihan village, al-Hadar area, depending on federal investigations and information.”
“The raid left 15 IS militants including three leaders killed including security and administrative officials of the so-called Wilayat al-Jazeera. Others were injured as they were intending to launch attack at several areas,” the statement added.
The army’s elite Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) declared storming two districts of al-Abar and al-Tanak in western Mosul. 17 IS members were killed, while six female members of different Arab nationalities were wounded.
Iraqi government forces announced earlier on Wednesday resumption of military operations in Central Mosul, after being suspended for few days.
Eastern Mosul was recaptured in January after an offensive was launched in October by the Iraqi forces and the U.S.-led coalition. Another offensive was launched in mid-February to retake the west.
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 militia detains 12 suicide bombers
Tikrit (IraqiNews.com) Al-Hashd al-Shaabi Media Directorate announced, on Wednesday, arresting 12 suicide bombers, who sneaked from the city of Mosul to the city of Tikrit.
The media directorate said in a statement that forces from al-Hashd al-Shaabi’s 41st brigade carried out a proactive operation, based on intelligence information, in the areas of Zweirija and Wadi al-Yabes, on borders between Tikrit and Ramadi.
The operation resulted in arresting 12 terrorists of the Islamic State, the statement explained.
The terrorists were coming from al-Hadar area in Mosul, and wearing explosive belts, the statement further added.
Members of the Islamic State are frequently trying to sneak into Salahuddin, to violate the security situation in the province, while security forces are trying to repulse their attacks and kill many of them.
20 ISIS troops die in airstrike
Mosul (IraqiNews.com) Iraqi Ministry of Defense announced, on Wednesday, killing 20 terrorists of the Islamic State group, and destroying a 23mm cannon by an air strike carried out by the Army Aviation, in western Mosul.
The ministry said in a brief statement that the Army Aviation carried out an air strike on al-Sabuniyah area, in western Mosul, killing 20 Islamic State’s militants, as well as destroying a 23mm Cannon.
Noteworthy, joint security forces are carrying out extensive military operations to recapture western Mosul from the Islamic State terrorist group, after liberating the eastern side of the city last January.