Iraqi troops capture Tenek
[ENGLISH.ALMANAR.LB] Iraqi forces retook full control of one the largest neighborhoods of west djinn-infested Mosul
... the home of a particularly ferocious and hairy djinn...
Tuesday from the ISIS group after a week of intense fighting, a top commander said.
"This morning, the heroes of the Counter-Terrorism Service on the western axis succeeded in fully clearing Tenek neighborhood," Staff Lieutenant General Abdulwahab al-Saadi told AFP in Mosul.
The elite forces have been spearheading a massive offensive launched in mid-October 2016 to retake Mosul, the country’s second city and the last major Iraqi bastion of the terrorists’ now crumbling "caliphate".
The eastern side of the city, which is divided by the Tigris river, was recaptured in January, and a push on the west bank of Mosul launched the following month has made steady progress despite fierce resistance.
Tenek, on the western edge of the city, "is one of the largest neighborhoods on the western side of Mosul," said Saadi, one of the top CTS commanders in Iraq.
"It used to be one of the main strongholds for terrorist groups," he said.
Saadi said the fighting in Tenek was fierce and lasted a full week.
"More than 20 boom-mobiles were destroyed, dozens of terrorist faceless myrmidons were killed. Their bodies are still on the streets and inside houses," he said.
Only a few hundred ISIS fighters are believed to remain in west Mosul, most of them hunkering down in the Old City amidst several hundred thousand civilians.
Iraqi forces have retaken neighborhoods to the south, west and north of the Old City, tightening the noose around ISIS before a high-risk final assault.
Iraqi forces begin operation in al-Hadar
Mosul (IraqiNews.com) Pro-Iraqi government troops of al-Hashd al-Shaabi (Public Mobilization Units) have received several families fleeing east of Hadar region as operations started to free the region and the surrounding areas from Islamic State militants.
In statements on Tuesday, the troops media service declared liberating Hilala hill, north of Hadar, as well as Ain Sadid and al-Olwani villages in the south. Booby trapped vehicles were exploded at al-Salal village, near al-Hajaniya village, in the south, and near Heweidar village, at the outskirts of the region. A store of weapons was found in the north.
Iraqi troops, supported by PMUs, have launched military operations to drive IS fighters out of Hadar, located south of Mosul, DPA quoted the Iraqi official TV on Tuesday.
Number of remaining IS militants in Mosul was previously estimated by the U.S.-led coalition at less than 1000.
In February, Iraqi troops, backed by the international coalition and paramilitary troops, started an offensive to retake western Mosul from IS. Eastern Mosul was recaptured in January after three months of battles.
The group has sustained severe losses in personnel and ground since an offensive was launched in mid October to retake Mosul, the second-largest Iraqi city and the militants’ last urban stronghold in the country.
Iraqi forces capture 12 villages in Hadher region
Mosul (IraqiNews.com) Iraqi Ministry of Defense’s War Media Cell announced, on Tuesday, that security forces managed to liberate 12 villages in al-Hadher District, south of the city of Mosul.
The cell said in a statement that troops of al-Hashd al-Shaabi, backed by Army Aviation, carried out an extensive operation to liberate al-Hadher District, and managed to liberate 12 villages so far.
The liberated villages are al-Musaltan, Albu Alwan, Dabsa, al-Kunayfis, Tal Halala, Tal Rajim, al-Athouri, al-Huwaider, Salal, Oliba, Oliba al-Sharkiyah and Oliba al-Gharbiyah, the statement added.
The security forces also raised the Iraqi flag over the buildings of these villages, after inflicting heavy human and material losses on the enemy, the statement further explained.
Earlier today, al-Hashd al-Shaabi forces announced launching an offensive, codenamed ‘Muhammed Rasoul Allah Operations’, to liberate al-Hadher District, and the surrounding areas, south of Mosul.