Iraqi forces capture al-Thawra district
Mosul (IraqiNews.com) Iraqi government forces on Thursday took over al-Thawra district in western Mosul, ending four days of intense encounters with Islamic State militants.
The announcement by the Joint Operations Command came hours after forces recaptured al-Thawra al-Oula, a first section of the neighborhood. The troops invaded the area on Friday.
The army’s elite Counter-Terrorism Service also said its forces were advancing further at al-Tenek and al-Sihha districts.
Iraqi forces recaptured the eastern side of Mosul in January after three months of fighting with Islamic State, and sat on a new offensive in February to retake the western region. Commanders said earlier this month that the Islamic State was controlling only less than seven percent of Iraqi territory, and that only six districts were still witnessing IS presence.
Islamic State has lost many of its senior commanders since operations launched to retake the western side of Mosul. Officials from the U.S.-led coalition estimate the number of remaining militants in Mosul by less than 1000.
The conflict in Mosul has so far displaced more than half a million of the city’s population, according to the Iraqi government and the United Nations.
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ISIS Bad Guys including Baghdadi's kinsman die in western Mosul
Mosul (IraqiNews.com) Federal Police has declared killing a relative of Islamic State supreme leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and other group leaders in western Mosul.
“The troops targeted IS leaders through shelling,” Lt. Gen. Shaker Jawdat, chief of Federal Police, said in a statement. “The forces killed abu Baraa al-Daghestani, a military official, and his aide abu Abd al-Rahman al-Zemari in al-Jisr al-Khames region, north of the Old City.”
Moreover, Jawdat declared “killing of Abdullah al-Husseini, a relative of Baghdadi, Khaled Ali Nada, minister of zakat, and Blood Judge [executioner judge] called abu Hussein as they were targeted in al-Zanjili district.”
In related news, Al-Hashd Al-Shaabi, known as Public Mobilization Units (PMUs), announced killing five IS members in the west of Mosul.
“The 28th brigade noticed five IS members while trying to infiltrate in the vicinity of Tal Abta within the forces’ operations unit,” the troops said in a statement adding “they were killed immediately.”
Islamic State has lost many of its senior commanders since operations launched to retake the western side of Mosul.
On Wednesday, Iraqi security forces announced controlling 30 percent of western Mosul’s Old City.
Iraqi troops, backed by U.S.-led coalition, recaptured eastern Mosul in January after an offensive was launched in mid-October. A new offensive was launched in February to retake the western side of the city.
ISIS Top Chemical official dies in western Mosul
Mosul (IraqiNews.com) Iraqi Federal Police Chief announced, on Thursday, killing the chemicals official of the Islamic State group, in western Mosul.
Lieutenant General Raed Shaker Jawdat, in a press statement said that the Federal Police forces fired a remotely controlled rocket, targeting a headquarters of the Islamic State in al-Zanjili area.
The shelling resulted in the killing of the Islamic State’s chemicals official, Ahmed Abu Ghaz, Jawdat added.
The Islamic State group launched several chemical attacks, especially using chlorine gas, on different areas of the city of Mosul, including al-Hadbaa area and Hayy al-Abar.
Meanwhile, Islamic State militants used chemicals to attack Iraqi forces in Mosul over the weekend, and the agent has been sent for testing to being identified.
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Iraqi airstrikes destroys 4 ISIS munitions factories in Mosul
Mosul (IraqiNews.com) Iraqi Ministry of Defense’s War Media Cell announced, on Thursday, that dozens of the Islamic State members were killed and four explosives plants were destroyed by F16 fighter jets air strikes, west of Mosul.
The cell said in a statement, “Today, F16 fighter jets carried out several air strikes on Tal Afar District, destroying 3 explosives plants and a hideout belonging to the Islamic State, as well as killing dozens of militants.”
“The air strike also destroyed another explosives plant in al-Mahlabiyah area, west of Mosul,” the statement added.
The statement also revealed that the air strike was carried out based on accurate information obtained from ‘We Are Coming, Nineveh’ Intelligence Cell.
Iraqi troops capture al-Nasr district of Mosul
Mosul (IraqiNews.com) Iraqi troops have freed al-Nasr district in western Mosul, Nineveh Operations declared.
In a statement on Thursday, Lt. Gen. Abdul-Amir Yarallah said “The army’s Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) liberated al-Nasr district in the western side of Mosul before raising the Iraqi flag on its buildings.”
Yarallah indicated inflicting losses in lives and property on the Islamic State.
Earlier on Thursday, the Joint Operations Command declared recapturing al-Thawra district in the west of the city, ending intense encounters with Islamic State militants that started on Friday. The announcement came hours after forces recaptured al-Thawra al-Oula, a first section of the neighborhood.
On Wednesday, Interior Ministry’s Rapid Response forces announced recapturing 30 percent of the Old City. Only six districts in western Mosul are still held by Islamic State as Iraqi troops liberated most of the districts, Counter-Terrorism Service declared on the same day.
Previously,The Joint Operations Command previously said IS militants were only in control over 6.8 percent of territory of Iraq and that government troops were controlling 60 percent of the western side of Mosul.
Iraqi forces took over the eastern side of Mosul in January after three months of fighting with Islamic State. A new offensive was launched in February to retake the western region.