Iraqi forces liberate new districts in Mousl and kill ISIS leader

Security committee of Local Council of Diyala Province revealed the killing of an Iraqi officer in Baqoba, saying that the extremists killed him in retaliation for the role her performed in revealing the conspiracy to raise chaos in one of the province’s cities. Meanwhile, security sources revealed that Iraqi joint forces killed ISIS leading member in the right bank of the city of Mousl, as they resume their advance in the districts of the city.

The military command leading operations against the Islamic State in western Mosul said Monday its forces had recaptured more areas on a new front taken up last week.

The Joint Operations Command said the army’s elite Counter-Terrorism Service troops took over Wadi Akab and Ghanem al-Sayyed industrial areas, hours after commanders reported earlier gains in the northwestern axis of operations primarily taken with an eye on the IS-held Old City.

Federal Police chief, Lt. Gen Shaker Jawdat, said in statements that his forces took over Shuqaq al-Haramat district, while moving forward at al-Haramat al-Thaniya, approaching Ektesadiyen and the major Islamic State stronghold district of 17 Tamuz (July 17th). Jawdat said 16 militants were killed and several combat equipment were destroyed during the offensives.

Iraqi commanders have reported dozens of deaths among Islamic State militants and the recapture of large parts of districts falling next to the Old City from the northwest.

Also on Monday, a spokesperson of the Interior Ministry said ministry forces had killed 3320 IS members since the offensive to retake western Mosul was launched in February. Iraqi forces recaptured eastern Mosul in January after three months of fighting.
Iraqi generals say they currently control at least 70 percent of territory in the western side of Mosul.

Islamic State leader Jassim al-Basri has been killed in an airstrike by the U.S.-led coalition in Mosul, according to the military intelligence department. “The terrorist Jassim al-Basri, known as abu Mohamed, was killed in an airstrike by the international coalition,” the department said in a statement on Monday. “Basri was the group’s head of Mesherfa and al-Haramat district in Mosul,” the statement added.

3320 IS members have been killed since the offensive to retake western Mosul was launched in February, the Interior Ministry declared earlier on Monday. The eastern side of Mosul was retaken in January after three months of battles.

The Federal Police troops earlier declared taking over Shuqaq al-Haramat district, while moving forward at al-Haramat al-Thaniya, approaching al-Iqtisadiyeen district and the major Islamic State stronghold district of 17 Tamuz (July 17th). Meanwhile, the army’s elite Counter-Terrorism Service announced moving towards the ٍSena’at Wadi Akab region, encircling areas on the outskirts of that region.

The Iraqi troops opened last week a new front in the northwest of Mosul seeking crackdown on the militants in the Old City after weeks of attempts to invade the densely-populated area from the southern side.

Iraqi forces have broken into Wadi Akkab industrial zone west of Mosul, Commander of the Iraq's counter- terrorism forces, Major General Maan al-Saadi said on Monday. In press statement, he added that counter-terrorism forces are now engaged in fierce battles with militants in the region, stressing the ISIS terrorists would not be able to withstand the powerful strikes.

Well informed Iraqi military sources confirmed to The Baghdad Post that ISIS terrorists were now experiencing their worst conditions as they are trapped and have lost most of their elements.  
The Iraqi army in partnership with the US-led International Coalition has launched a new offensive to oust ISIS from its last stronghold in western Mosul. But the ongoing battles have killed hundreds of civilians, according to independent reports. Thousands of Mosul residents have been displaced. 

In the same context, a police officer was killed by unknown gunmen at the outskirts of Baquba city, a local source from Diyala province said on Monday.

“Unknown gunmen opened fire late on Sunday against a vehicle driven by a lieutenant general from the Interior Ministry’s General Directorate of Nationality, three kilometers west of Baquba, which killed him immediately,” the source told Alghad Press. “The officer was recently transferred from Baghdad to the nationality directorate in Baquba.”

“Security troops arrived at the accident spot and conducted investigations,” the source added. Head of the nationality directorate in Kanaan, a police colonel was killed last week in a blast as a bomb placed under his vehicle exploded.

On Saturday, the Dijla Operations Command declared launching an offensive that includes four regions of al-Nada basin, Hamreen, Wadi Thilab and Tilal Qazlaq in east of Baquba. Several offensives were launched over the past few weeks in eastern and northeastern regions in Diyala. Islamic State still holds a few areas in Salahuddin, Diyala, Anbar and Kirkuk, occasionally using them as launching points for its attacks against civilians and security.