The Hashd re-started
its push to the southwest of Mosul. For the last several days they were
consolidating their position and likely re-supplying. On November 14 they made
a new advance taking
seven towns.
Elements of the 9th
Division freed a town in the southeast as well.
In Mosul there were more reports of civilian casualties. Bas News had a
story that shelling killed 63 civilians in the eastern Qadisiyah neighborhood. Iraq
Oil Report mentioned that the Islamic State executed civilians in two
different areas on charges of collaborating with the government and refusing to
evacuate their homes. The toll of the fighting so far has been obfuscated by government
censorship. Only the occasional news story has anything on the dead and wounded
and those do not appear that often.
Reporters talked with some of those displaced by the
fighting. Agence
France Presse interviewed people who were starting to come back to Bashiqa
east of Mosul that was just freed by the Peshmerga. They were shocked by the
destruction that they found. Reuters met with a
group of displaced people in Baybukh north of Mosul who have been left to fend
for themselves. The story didn’t say why but they were not allowed to move to a
displaced camp or another town and the government did not provided with them
any transportation out of their situation or aid. The Norwegian Refugee Council
said that they had no food, water, electricity or other services, while
soldiers were trying to give them provisions. Expelling the Islamic State is
only the first step in the war against the Islamic State. Returning people to
their homes, repairing the damage, rebuilding the economies, dealing with IS
sympathizers, etc. are all work to be done.
There has been a huge increase in displaced in the last few
days since eastern Mosul was reached. The U.N. reported
54,282 people had fled their homes up to November 13. That was a 35% increase
over the last seven days. As the Iraqi forces enter more parts of the city this
number is likely to continue to climb.
SOURCES
Bas News, "63 Civilians Killed by IS Shelling in Eastern
Mosul," 11/14/16
Delany, Max, “Battle with IS leaves melting pot Iraq towns
in ruin,” Agence France Presse, 11/14/16
Al Forat, "Freed Mushayrifa village in Zab district,"
11/14/16
Iraq Oil Report, “Inside Mosul: Nov. 14, 2016,” 11/14/16
Kalin, Stephen, “Iraqi civilians stranded north of Mosul
grow desperate,” Reuters, 11/14/16
Al Maalomah, "Badr announces the freeing of three villages
and evacuation of 500 civilians," 11/14/16
Mostafa, Mohamed, “Al-Hashed al-Shaabi, federal police, resume
offensives on west, east of Mosul,” 11/14/16
- "Security forces and al-Hashed al-Shaabi liberate 3
villages east and west of Mosul," Iraqi News, 11/14/16
Rudaw, "Shiite force eyes ISIS' top leader as it begins fresh
offensive west of Mosul," 11/14/16
UN High Commission for Refugees, “Iraq Situation: Flash
Update – 13 November 2013,” 11/13/16
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