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Iraq
Mosul Offensive News
2017-05-30


Kops, ISIS snipers die in fighting in west Mosul

Mosul (IraqiNews.com) Police personnel, Islamic State militants and snipers were killed during battles ongoing in western Mosul districts, Federal Police sources have said.

“Federal Police troops blew up four booby-trapped vehicles before targeting the troops advancing through al-Shifa region, in Mosul’s Old City,” Colonel Khodeir Saleh told BasNews on Monday.

“Two foreign IS snipers were killed during battles in the same region,” he said, adding eight other members were also killed.

Police troops, according to Saleh, are now in control of wide parts in al-Shifa, where slow advances are made due to the high density of population.

Meanwhile, First Lieutenant Ahmed Saleh, of Nineveh police, said one personnel was killed, three others were wounded in a booby-trapped car explosion that targeted troops on al-Sihha al-Thaniya district late on Sunday, DPA reported.

Abdul-Ghani al-Assadi, commander of the army’s elite Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) expected liberation of the district within the coming few days. He said that in case the district was freed, the militants will be besieged in the Old City as all exits will be closed.

Regarding number of IS members killed al-Sihha district, Assadi said the troops killed 58 members on Sunday, predicting a higher number as the troops resume their advance.

The eastern side of Mosul was liberated in January after three months of battles. Another major offensive was launched in February to liberate the western side of the city.

14 ISIS Bad Guys smoked in Mosul's old city

Mosul (IraqiNews.com) Fourteen Islamic State militants were killed and motorbikes were destroyed in Mosul’s Old City, the Federal Police declared on Monday.

In a statement, Lt.Gen.Shaker Jawdat said, “Federal Police troops in al-Zanjili district, north of the Old City, are deploying addition troops toward al-Sihha district in order to gain control on all of the area, amid missile shelling.”

“The selling targets IS defenses ahead of advancing,” he said adding that “The drone shelling left 14 militants killed and nine motorbikes in the narrow alleys of the Old City, destroyed.”

The Old City is home of the ancient Grand Nuri Mosque, from which the group’s Supreme Leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi gave a famous sermon in 2014 declaring the establishment of the ‘caliphate’

Previously in May, the Joint Operations Command said more than 16,000 IS fighters were killed since start of Mosul operations in October.

Iraqi commanders say they at least 90 percent of territories in western Mosul is under Iraqi troops control, predicting to retake the city before the end of May. Only two districts besides the Old City are under IS control.

Iraqi forces have been sweeping through northwestern neighborhoods over the past few weeks in a way to invade the strategic Old City, after finding it hard to invade from the south.

The eastern side of Mosul was retaken in January after three months of battles. Another major offensive was launched in February to recapture the western flank of the city.

Iraqi forces continue offensive in Mosul

Iraqi forces pressed ahead on Monday with a broad operation in Mosul, liberating more towns from ISIL Takfiri terrorists.

Popular Mobilization Forces, who are also known as Hashd Shaabi, said they have liberated Taro town northwest of Qahtaniyah which lies near Sinjar on the Iraqi-Syrian border.

The media department in the volunteer forces said Taro was liberated during a qualitative operation on Monday.

Meanwhile, AFP news agency quoted Joint Operations Command spokesman Yahya Rasool as saying that Iraqi forces entered three towns north of Mosul’s Old City.

“Our units are continuing to advance… and entered Al-Saha al-Oula and Al-Zinjili and Al-Shifaa neighborhoods and the Republican Hospital,” said Rasool.

ISIL was using “explosives-rigged vehicles and snipers and suicide bombers” to target Iraqi forces, he told AFP.

More than seven months into the massive operation to retake Mosul, Iraqi forces have recaptured the city’s east and large parts of its western side, but terrorists were still putting up resistance in the Old City.

Source: Agencies
Posted by:badanov

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