Iraqi troops resume advance in Mousl

Iraqi joint troops resumed their advance towards Nuri Mosque in the framework of the current operations conducted by the Iraqi troops to liberate the Iraqi city of Mousl from the grip of ISIS extremist group, as the International Coalition resumed the bombardment of the strongholds of the extremists in the right bank of the second largest city in Iraq after two days of suspension due to the bad weather.

Meanwhile, American soldiers work currently to develop West Qayyarah air base to be a center of logistic support for the Iraqi and international troops in their battle against ISIS to restore control over Mousl. U.S General Elizabeth Curtis said that the American soldiers are existed in the Iraqi territories upon a permission from the authorities of the sovereign country. He added, “We have the same objective to get rid of the wicked.”

The air base was controlled by the extremist group months ago, as they took its control in 2014. They destroyed its buildings and its runway using the drilling machines. However, the Iraqi troops managed to restore its control in July. U.S military leader Sebastian Pasteur said that about thousand soldiers have been deployed there, saying that the military base provides logistic services to the Iraqi troops fighting in the Iraqi city.

In the same context, military source revealed that rapid response troops managed to control the streets of Ghazi, Nineveh and Adala and Harag Market in the central area of the city, saying that the Iraqi troops raised flags over these streets after inflicting the enemy with heavy losses in lives and equipment.

Spokesperson of Iraqi troops Yahia Rasool revealed that the Iraqi forces resumed their advance in the districts of Resala and Nables, saying that they managed to control large swaths of both districts. Leading member of Nineveh Operations Najm Al Jabori revealed that dozens of ISIS militants have surrendered to the Iraqi troops.

The Iraqi Federal Police command said Monday its troops resumed advances towards a strategic mosque in western Mosul as operations continue to clear the region from Islamic State militants. The command said its forces proceeded towards Al-Hadbaa (leaning) Minaret at the Grand Nuri al-Kabir Mosque, where Islamic State’s supreme leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi delivered a famous sermon in 2014 proclaiming the establishment of an “Islamic Caliphate” in Iraq.

The statement said forces had killed 36 Islamic State members and destroyed 13 booby-trapped vehicles.

Inclement weather over the past few days had added to the difficulties facing Iraqi troops eyeing the Old City, a strategic target where the mosque is located. The area’s narrow alleyways and the density of the civilian population therein had prompted Iraqi and U.S.-led coalition troops to rely solely on precision air and artillery strikes without advancing on the ground.

Iraqi government troops recaptured eastern Mosul in January and are working to retake the western side of the city, making a remarkable progress by recapturing major government facilities, the city’s airport and a major military base. Operations in Mosul have displaced more than 200.000 civilians since October, according to Iraqi government and United Nations counts.

On the other hand, sources revealed that the extremist group trains over a thousand Yazidi children in secret camps to use them in its future extremist operations in different places around the world. It added that ISIS leaders threatened to liberate Rome at the hand of those children.

The source warned that the world will face serious challenge if those children have not been liberated from the grip of the extremist group, calling the international community for taking serious moves to liberate those children and qualify them for involving in their communities.