American and Iraqi commanders were still talking about the
next phase of the Mosul campaign when it already started. December 24 the Iraqi
forces (ISF) began operations began. That day the Golden Division attacked
Sukar and freed Falah in Mosul,
while the army’s 71st and 76th Brigades took Zaytoun, and
the town of Qaryat Tawilah. December 25 the Golden, 9th and 16th
Divisions entered Quds,
Sumer, and Dumiz in east Mosul. Then on December 26 U.S. forces shelled five
neighborhoods in the city for the first time. Finally, on December 27 Quds was taken. Sukar, Falah, and
Quds have been freed several times before, while Sumer and Dumiz have been
fought over as well. The Ninewa Operations Command also discovered six IED
factories in Gogjali an eastern suburb of the city. That was the first entered
back on October and liberated twice before yet the Islamic State was still
operative there.
The Hashd have been inactive for a few days as well, but
since December 24 have taken two more towns in the west around Tal Afar
including Qameshliyah on
December 27.
The U.S. led Coalition destroyed the last bridge connecting
eastern and western Mosul. The Old Bridge was hit December 26.
There are five spans total across the Tigris River in the city. Two were hit in
October, two more in November, and then the Old Bridge twice in December. The
Americans took out the bridge to hinder the militants’ ability to traverse the
city and bring in supplies and remove their dead and wounded. IS and people of
Mosul have been using small boats to cross the Tigris since the bridges were
struck.
The Islamic State was also active. It executed
7 people in Mosul, and counter attacked in the Shaimaa
neighborhood of the city, along with three towns, one in the south,
one in the west, and one in the north.
It also seized large parts of the Intisar
area of east Mosul before being evicted in heavy fighting. The insurgents
continued to force people out of their homes to use them as firing positions.
Finally, the government said 290 families had returned
to Gogjali. There were in camps in Bashiqa previously. A few thousand people
have gone back since the start of the battle of Mosul, which started in the
middle of October. The number of returns has been overshadowed by the one
thousand plus displaced each day due to the fighting.
SOURCES
Adel,
Loaa, "Car bomb blast near Mosul leaves 10 casualties," Iraqi News,
12/27/16
-
"Counter-Terrorism forces free 2 neighborhoods in Mosul," Iraqi News,
12/13/16
-
"Iraqi Forces Drive Back Massive Attack by Daesh, Kill 30 Militants,"
12/27/16
-
"Islamic State executes 7 civilians east of Mosul," Iraqi News,
12/27/16
AIN,
"Urgent counterterrorism liberate Kafat neighborhood on the left coast of
Mosul," 12/3/16
Al
Alam, "Iraqi Forces Liberate Strategic ISIS-Held Regions in Nineveh
Province," 12/27/16
-
"Over 70 ISIS Terrorists Killed by Iraqi Forces Counter Attack in
Mosul," 12/26/16
BBC, “Mosul battle: Last bridge ‘disabled by air strike,’”
12/27/16
Iraq
Oil Report, "Inside Mosul, Dec. 24-26, 2016," 12/28/16
-
“Inside Mosul, Dec. 27, 2016,” 12/27/16
-
"Inside Mosul: Nov. 1, 2016," 11/1/16
-
"Inside Mosul, Nov. 27, 2016," 11/27/16
Al
Mada, "61 Daesh terrorists killed and destroyed three car bombs in
frustrated attack in Mosul," 12/27/16
Mostafa,
Mohamed, "Iraqi army engages in ferocious fights with ISIS east of
Mosul," Iraqi News, 12/6/16
NINA,
"Anti-Terrorism Forces Storm 3 Residential Neighborhoods In Mosul, kill 16
Terrorists," 11/30/16
-
"Security Forces Liberate Sukkar Area North Of Mosul," 12/15/16
Sotaliraq,
"100 Daash killed in frustrated attack inside left coast of Mosul,"
12/16/16
- “290 displaced families returned to Kojla east Mosul,”
12/27/16
-
"Iraqi forces stormed Quds east Mosul," 12/25/16
-
"Popular crowd destroys two car bombs southeast of Mosul," 12/27/16
Xinhua,
"Iraqi forces free more districts in eastern Mosul," 11/4/16
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