The expected pause in operations after the liberation of
East Mosul has now begun. The Joint Operations Command said that the battle for west
Mosul would be completely different than the east. For one, the terrain is
different. In east Mosul there were large government complexes like Mosul
University and the provincial council complex where there were no civilians.
East Mosul is much more compact and residential. The Islamic State has also
taken thousands of civilians with them from the east to be used as human shields
increasing the difficulty of the fight.
On the other side of the river, the Islamic State was making
battle preparations. They are setting
up along the bank of the Tigris. That included moving into a medical complex
that had several high rises it could use for observation and sniper fire. The
Iraqi forces (ISF) were trying to call in air and artillery strikes on any
positions they spot. The militants were also launching harassing operations on
the east. That included mortars and gunfire, but also occasional raids. The
Rapid Reaction forces for example, noted on January 23, 20 IS fighters were
spotted crossing the Tigris at night in some boats. The force was destroyed.
The Iraqis and U.S. continue to push the theme that the
Islamic State is a defeated force. The Defense Ministry claimed that it lost
roughly half of its fighters in east Mosul. There were an estimated 6,000 IS
fighters within the city at the start of the operation, with 3,400 of them
dying in the east. There is no way to verify these numbers and Baghdad has been
known to greatly exaggerate the number of IS members it kills. U.S. General Joe
Martin was quoted as saying that
IS was “on the run.” It has fewer fighters, sophisticated weapons and
resources, and there are reports of infighting within the organization. The
battle for east Mosul went down very similar to Fallujah. In both cases, IS put
up a stiff defense initially, but once that was penetrated it collapsed
quickly. The same thing may play out in the west or the group could fight to
the end given the importance of Mosul to the organization.
Nearly every week there are stories that IS members are
fleeing to Syria. How could this be if the Hashd had cut off that route months
ago? That’s because there are holes in that line. One is at a small town called
Ein
al-Hassan by the Sinjar mountains. The village is held by Kataib Hezbollah
and the mountains by the Peshmerga, but the low ground between them is under IS
control. It’s said that there is a tunnel system from the area to Syria, and
the insurgents still move at night as well. There are probably other areas not
patrolled or garrisoned where militants can get through as well.
Hashd spokesman Ahmed al-Asadi held a press conference to
let people know that its forces would take part in the next phase of the Mosul
battle. He said the Hashd would be in involved in west Mosul all the way to Tal
Afar. The Ali Abbas division is scheduled to join the ISF inside the city, and
the Hashd have been around Tal Afar for weeks now. Asadi’s statements appeared
to be aimed at showing that the Hashd were still playing an important role in
the campaign. In fact, they have been largely in a support role with less to do
since the government forces have not taken Tal Afar. That could change as National
Security Adviser Falah Fayad said there was nothing stopping the Hashd from
entering the town. That could upset the rough relationship with Turkey, which
has strenuously objected to any Hashd going into Tal Afar claiming they will
carry out abuses.
A parliamentarian on the security committee complained about
ex-Ninewa Governor Atheel Nujafi and his Hashd al-Watani. He claimed that
Nujafi was acting as if he was the commander of liberated areas in Mosul. The
MP demanded that the government put a stop to that. The Hashd al-Watani worked
with the 16th Division in freeing parts of northeast Mosul. Nujafi
has pinned his hopes on returning to power on his involvement in the Mosul
campaign. That has been very small, but he is likely to exploit it for all he
can, which is why he is probably patrolling neighborhoods in the city.
Reuters
had a story on the aftermath of the fighting in east Mosul. Many families could
not bury their dead in cemeteries and are now trying to do so. The service
talked with Abdul Rahman Riyadh who had 3 family members die along with 17
others in an air strike. Because of the combat going on around them the lost
ones were buried in the backyard. Now that is over the dead are being dug up
and put into the proper graveyards.
Now that all of east Mosul is liberated more families are
going home, and the government is attempting to provide them with aid. Hundreds
of people from the Khazir and Hasansham camps were leaving
for the city. Local officials were trying to coordinate the exit and providing
them with buses for the trip. People have no jobs to return to, so the
government has agreed
to pay 5 billion dinars in benefits to public workers that live in liberated
areas. The government is the biggest employer in Iraq and main source of
livelihood for families, so this will help support a large number of people.
Last, around 100 artifacts were discovered
inside the house of an IS leader. These came from the Assyrian and early
Islamic period. Much has been made of the militants’ destruction of historic
sites like the Nabi Younis shrine inside Mosul, which they claimed were unIslamic.
These acts were recorded and broadcast around the world in IS propaganda and
picked up by the Iraqi and international press. Less well known was the
insurgents’ other goal, which was to loot these areas of their possessions to
be sold on the black market to bring in revenues. The items found in the house
were likely for this illicit trade.
SOURCES
Buratha News, “Recent developments in the field during the
process of liberating Mosul until 19:35 pm Wednesday 25 01 2017,” 1/25/17
Fache, Wilson, “As dust of war settles, east Mosul buries
its dead anew,” Reuters, 1/25/17
- “Hundreds of families leave Iraq camps for Mosul return,”
Agence France Presse, 1/25/17
Georgy, Michael, “Rowboats and missiles in war of attrition
on Iraq front line,” Reuters, 1/25/17
Iraq Oil Report, “Inside Mosul: Jan. 25, 2017,” 1/25/17
Al Maalomah, “Defense: Daesh lost more than half of its
members on the left bank,” 1/25/17
Al Mada, “Spokesman for the crowd: We will participate in
the liberation of the right bank of Mosul on more than one axis,” 1/25/17
Mostafa, Mohamed, “Islamic State execute five leaders for
escaping eastern Mosul battles,” Iraqi News, 1/25/17
- “Islamic State fighters redeploy in west Mosul after Iraqi
forces take east,” Iraqi News, 1/25/17
New Sabah, “Daesh abducted thousands of civilians from east
Mosul to use them as human shields on right bank,” 1/25/17
- “Daesh admits defeat in east Mosul and announce it will be
successful on the right bank,” 1/25/17
Rudaw, “Fight for west Mosul will be challenge but ISIS is
‘enemy on the run,’” 1/25/17
Shafaaq News, “MP warns of entrusting the task of security
in Mosul to fighters led by a “nobody,”” 1/25/17
- “Pictures … found 100 artifacts in the home of a Daash
leader in east Mosul,” 1/25/17
Westcott, Tom, “’We will never give up’: Iraqi troops battle
to cut IS escape to Syria,” Middle East Eye, 1/24/17
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