Iraqi fighter jets destroyed laboratories to make and bomb explosive devices, as the Iraqi army carried out 6500 air raids against the strongholds of ISIS extremist group in Nineveh. Meanwhile, the Iraqi forces advanced and saved over 40 families from the grip of the extremist group.
In the same context, Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar Abadi revealed that the Iraqi city of Mousl will be announced as a liberated city within, expressing his appreciation to the Iraqi forces that performed the major role to cleanse the city from the extremist militias. He stressed that the government will take serious moves to renovate the archeological sites as soon as possible.
On the military side, Iraqi government forces killed on Thursday an Islamic State explosives official while moving inside a district adjacent to Mosul’s Old City, the group’s last bastion. Shafaq News quoted security sources saying that troops killed Abu Furqan al-Maswseli along with 15 others at a house in al-Shifa district.
The Iraqi command said earlier this week its forces had consummated the recapture of al-Shifa, a home to major health and medical facilities, thus putting the medieval Old City under full siege. Also on Thursday, Federal Police chief Shaker Jawdat said his forces killed 43 Islamic State members in Ras al-Jada and Bab al-Beed in the old city, and destroyed five booby-trapped vehicles.
Iraqi troops have advanced on Wednesday closer to the Grand Nuri al-Kabir Mosque, where Islamic State’s supreme leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared the establishment of the group’s rule in 2014. IS members blew up the mosque’s ancient minaret on Wednesday as troops advanced, a move which the Iraqi command said signalled an imminent defeat to the extremist group.
A few hundred militants are thought to remain inside the Old City, but are holding at least 100.000 civilians who are shot dead or caught and executed while trying to flee the neighborhood.
In the same context, The paramilitary troops have announced launching an offensive in Naft Khana, northeast of Diyala, the media service said on Thursday. “The operation is carried out from six main axes with support from the army jets, the statement said. “It targets eliminating Islamic State pockets as well as boosting security in the strategic region.”
Naft Khana is considered a pivotal region in Diyala for its strategic location, being near to main roads, in addition to being geographically-connected to Hamrin basin. Attacks launched by Islamic State militants against security troops, the pro-government forces and civilians surged over the past few weeks in northeast of Diyala, which urge the Iraqi forces to prevent the militants infiltration between Salahuddin and Kirkuk provinces, especially the regions stretching along Hamreen mountains and Al-Azeem town.
IS holds pivotal regions that link between each of Diyala, Salahuddin and Kirkuk, posing threats to the liberated regions. The Iraqi government is urged to hasten with security operations to retake regions held by IS since 2014. However, the most attention is given to the battle in Mosul, Islamic State’s largest stronghold in Iraq. Al-Hashd Al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilization Units), an alliance of more than 60 mostly Shia militias, are recognized by the government as a national force under the Prime Minister’s command.