The Hashd on the western front launched its Sixth Phase of
operations. This involved units from Kataib Hezbollah, Asaib Ahl Al-Haq, Badr,
Imam Ali Brigades, and the Al Abbas Division. The main goal
was to cut the roads from Tal Afar to Sinjar and focused upon the Ain Hussan
area. One brigade linked
up with the Peshmerga in the Sinjar district, and another claimed
it cut a crossing point from Ninewa to Syria used by the Islamic State. Since
the Hashd have not been allowed to take Tal Afar their main task has been to
secure the system of roads in western Ninewa and cut off IS supply lines.
Inside Mosul the insurgents carried out another series of
attacks upon the eastern section of the city. The 9th Division and
Rapid Reaction forces were assaulted.
3 car bombs also went off in Kuba killing and wounding 13 soldiers. IS mortar
and rocket fire continued to rain down on liberated areas. 10 more civilians
were killed as a
result. The situation has gotten so bad that the United Nations reported that
around 1,340 people fled northeast Mosul. IS might have been expelled from half
the city, but they are still able to carry out raid and harass missions
everyday. The shelling is also intensifying, and taking a heavy toll on
civilians.
The issue of securing east Mosul was brought up by Niqash.
There are five different forces operating in the city, the Golden Division, the
army, the Federal Police, the Rapid Reaction forces, and Ninewa police. These
units do not always cooperate with each other. The larger problem is that they
do not appear to have enough forces to both hold the east effectively, while
attacking the west. Since the military is pushing to go into west Mosul as soon
as possible the stay behind forces may be stretched thin. This is worrying
because the population has not been fully screened, and the Iraqi Forces are
afraid of sleeper cells.
Maintaining control was IS’s main activity in west Mosul. It
was still setting up defensive positions along the Tigris River. It arrested
people who had been handing out supplies to people and whipped them for doing
so without its permission. The organization has been telling imams to urge
families to volunteer
their sons to join the fight against the Iraqi government. At the same time,
three commanders were executed
for fleeing east Mosul.
The Associated
Press was the latest to report on the militant’s drone program. IS has not
only been using drones to drop explosives on east Mosul, but was using them to
guide suicide car bombs during the fighting there. One of the first report of
the group using the devices came from the Turkish army based in northern Ninewa
in early 2016. The Turks saw a drone hover around their base for around 15
minutes and then they were shelled by IS. In east Mosul one drone usually
scouts out an area, and then a second one is sent in to drop explosives on
civilians or the security forces. Drones are relatively cheap and easy to
operate, and IS has been able to fashion them into a poor man’s Predator.
Finally, the New
Yorker had a great piece of war reporting following a unit of the Rapid
Reaction Force. The unit was in Mosul in 2014 when it fell to the Islamic
State, and was nearly wiped out. It was later rebuilt and is taking part in the
current battle to recapture it. All the members are from Mosul making the fight
a personal one.
SOURCES
Adel, Loaa, “Profits of doom: Mosul mechanics swamped as
bombs shatter city,” Iraqi News, 2/1/17
AIN, “The popular crowd reaches the outskirts of the Syrian
border and cut another Daesh port,’ 2/1/17
Dickstein, Corey, “US-led coalition: Tough fight ahead to
retake western Mosul,” Stars and Stripes, 2/1/17
George, Susannah and Hinnant, Lori, “IS using drones, other
innovating tactics with deadly effect,” Associated Press, 2/1/17
Habib, Mustafa, “Frenemies United: Security Problems,
Scrappy Militias Delay Fight Against Extremists In Western Mosul,” Niqash,
2/1/17
International Organization for Migration, “IOM Iraq
Situation Report: Mosul Response Update #15,” 2/1/17
Iraq Oil Report, “Inside Mosul: Feb. 1, 2017,” 2/1/17
Al
Maalomah, "The death of 10 civilians bombed by Daesh northeast
Mosul," 2/1/17
- “Popular crowd: The on going battles pave the way for the
start of the sixth stage,” 2/1/17
Al Mada, “Popular Crowd and Peshmerga joined together
between Tal Afar and
Sinjar,” 2/1/17
Mogelson, Luke, “The Desperate Battle To Destroy ISIS,” The
New Yorker, 2/6/17
Mostafa, Mohamed, “Mobilization units set on operations to
clear western Mosul road from IS,” Iraqi News, 2/1/17
Niqash, “The Countdown: In West Mosul, Extremists Promise
‘Divine Intervention’ Will Defeat Iraqi Army,” 2/1/17
Rojkan, Mira, “IS Conducts Rocket Attacks on Civilians in Northeastern
Mosul,” Bas News, 2/2/17
Rudaw, “Mortar fire forces thousands of civilians to flee
liberated eastern Mosul,” 2/1/17
Al Sumaria, “Daesh executed three of its leaders for
escaping left bank in Mosul,” 2/1/17
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