Mosul Campaign Day Five, Oct 21, 2016

The fifth day of the Mosul offensive was a slow one.

A few more towns were freed. The Federal Police and Army pushing towards Mosul from the south and east claimed to have freed seven villages during the day. In one of those towns the Islamic State launched four car bombs, but they were destroyed. Overall, the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) said they had gone through 53 towns so far since the start of the operation on October 17.

Inside Mosul it was reported that the militants destroyed several churches on October 20. The day before it blew up several government buildings and some of its own offices. That raises the fear that IS may destroy sections of the city before it is forced out. The United Nations also reported that IS took over 500 people from two neighboring towns and forced them into Mosul. The fear was that they would be used as human shields once the fighting breaks out within the city itself.

Since the start of the operation there have been differing figures given on how many people have been displaced as a result. On October 21 the United Nations said 3,900 people had left Mosul and Hamdaniya district. The day before, the International Organization for Migration released a higher number of 5,640. It’s apparent that the various humanitarian groups in the area are seeing and registering different amounts of people, and have not been able to come to a consensus yet on the total.

Previous Reports on the Mosul operation:

Mosul Campaign Day One

Mosul Campaign Day Two

Mosul Campaign Day Three

Mosul Campaign Day Four

SOURCES

Al Forat "Freed Good Hill south of Mosul," 10/21/16

- "Nineveh operations freed the village of Doizzat south-east axis of the Tigris and raise dthe Iraqi flag over it," 10/21/16

- "Security forces stormed the village of suspicion south of Mosul," 10/21/16

- "Urgent freed the village of Conception from Daash south of Mosul," 10/21/16

- "Urgent Iraqi army frees two villages in the eastern axis of the Battle of Mosul," 10/21/16

Al Maalomah, "Freed two village and discovered a half ton of ammonium nitrate," 10/21/16

-"Media Cell: freed 53 villages and killed 473 terrorists since the start of the Mosul operation," 10/21/16

Matti, Emad and Schreck, Adam, “IS Attacks Iraq City of Kirkuk, Power Plant Amid Mosul Fight,” Associated Press, 10/21/16

NINA, “Breaking News … Daesh Demolish Churches In Mosul,” 10/20/16