Iraqi Federal Police revealed that the Iraqi forces managed to control more districts in the Iraqi city of Mousl on Thursday in the framework of the current military operation to liberate the Iraqi second largest city from the grip of ISIS extremist group. Meanwhile Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Abadi faces critical moment over the identity of forces that will lead the coming operation to eliminate the remnants of the extremist group from Iraq.
Iraqi government forces advanced towards a new district in western Mosul on Thursday, continuing a push towards the IS-held Old City from the northwest. Federal Police chief, Shaker Jawdat said in statements that the Interior Ministry’s Rapid Response forces, backed by Federal Police armoured vehicles, made an incursion Thursday at al-Ektesadiyn district, an area to which Islamic State fled over the past few days as Iraqi forces advanced, according to field commanders.
The troops are moving across the district’s northern section, while dozens of armoured vehicles and hundreds of snipers trained for night-time battles were deployed at those areas, putting the militants under siege, Jawdat said.
The development comes as Iraqi forces opened last week a new front targeting the strategic, IS-held Old City from the northwestern direction, having struggled for weeks to invade the densely populated and narrowly structured area from its southern entrances. Iraqi commanders have reported dozens of deaths among Islamic State militants and the recapture of large parts of districts on the targets list.
On Wednesday, the Iraqi command said army forces had killed more than 1300 militants since the launch of operations for western Mosul in February. Iraqi commanders say they control at least 70 percent of western Mosul.
In the same context, A map released by the Iraqi military media on Thursday suggested that government troops became in control over 90 percent of western Mosul.
The map, posted by the Defense Ministry’s War Media Cell, shows that only 10 percent remain under Islamic State militants’ control as the forces opened a new front of operations last week targeting the IS-held Old City from the northwestern direction. Military officials, who said earlier this month they control 70 percent of the region, have yet to confirm the map’s accuracy.
Also on Thursday, Ali al-Jaff, a lieutenant at the army’s elite Counter-Terrorism Service, was quoted by Shafaaq news website saying his forces cleared six IS snipers positions in al-Islah al-Zeraee district.
Head of the CTS special operations, Maan al-Saadi, also said in statements that he predicts al-Islah al-Zeraee district to be fully recaptured on Thursday. He said his forces invaded the district on Wednesday and took over 30 percent of it, adding that it overlooks other major districts such as 17 Tamuz, al-Arabi and al-Refaie.
Earlier on Thursday, Federal Police chief, Shaker Jawdat, said in statements that the Interior Ministry’s Rapid Response forces, backed by Federal Police armored vehicles, made an incursion Thursday at al-Ektesadiyn district, an area to which Islamic State fled over the past few days as Iraqi forces advanced, according to field commanders.
In Anbar, Two suicide bombers were killed while attempting infiltration to al-Razaza lake, southwest of Ramadi, Anbar Operations Command declared. “Two Islamic State suicide attackers, wearing explosive belts, attempted sneaking into al-Razaza lake, located southwest of Ramadi,” Maj.Gen. Mahmoud al-Falahi, commander of Anbar Operations told AlSumaria News on Thursday.
“The army’s eighth division troops killed the attackers and destroyed one of the group’s vehicles without casualties among the troops,” he added. In related news, a military source said army destroyed a booby-trapped car east of Hīt city, west of Anbar.
“The seventh division of the army’s 29th brigade destroyed the car that was parked in al-Akba region, eastern Hīt,” the source, who preferred anonymity, told AlSumaria News. No casualties were reported among the troops. The group has sustained severe losses in personnel and finances with hundreds of senior leaders killed.
IS still holds a few areas in Salahuddin, Diyala, Anbar and Kirkuk, but the Iraqi government, is expected to aim at those strongholds once the Mosul battle is concluded. Fighter jets from the Iraqi army and the international coalition have also regularly pounded IS locations in the province.