Mosul Campaign Day 147, March 12, 2017

The Iraqi forces (ISF) were pushing inside and outside of Mosul. The Golden Division, Federal Police and Rapid Reaction Division were still attacking the Old City section along the Tigris River. Jadida and Aghawat were freed, the latter was declared liberated on March 10. Fighting was on going in Bab al-Tob as well. To the west of the city the 16^th Division took another village, and so did the Hashd in the Badush district.

The ISF think that the Islamic State is almost done. The Golden Division’s General Maan al-Saadi said that the insurgents were losing control of their forces. He speculated it would take less time to take west Mosul compared to the east. So far 17 out of 40 districts had been seized. Some Iraqi sources are including the airport and Ghazlani camp, which are just outside of the city to claim that 50-60% of west Mosul has been liberated so far. No matter what metric is used the Iraqi forces have reached the middle of the city in just three weeks.

The Telegraph and Al Maalomah had stories on how much the fighting has cost west Mosul. The former talked with people who had lost family members in the city. One man had his wife and two daughters killed in an airstrike in the Samoud neighborhood. The Islamic State has been taking over homes as firing positions many times forcing civilians to stay as human shields or the residents have hidden in basements as IS fighters move back and forth through their area, which has led to a high number of casualties. The compact layout of the western section of the city has also made it extremely difficult to take out specific targets especially with indirect fire like mortars and artillery. That has also contributed to a high level of collateral damage. The Ninewa council estimated that 40% of the buildings and infrastructure in west Mosul have been damaged so far.

Destruction in the Dawas neighborhood (Ahmad Mousa)

The number of people fleeing west Mosul is climbing higher and higher. The Displacement Ministry had 12,458 people leaving in 24 hours during the weekend. It counted a total of 99,852 fleeing since the operation started on February 19. That is a much higher figure than the United Nations has quoted. The Iraqi forces were warning of a huge flood of people coming out of the city from March 10-12. That didn’t happen, but there are enough displaced that the camps for them are at the brink of being full.

Thousands of people are leaving west Mosul each day (Rudaw)

SOURCES

Agence France Presse, “Iraq forces retake over a third of west Mosul, commander says,” 3/12/17

AIN, “Popular crowd freed the village of Al-Sabeeh and kill Daesh military officer in Badush,” 3/12/17

Associated Press, “Coalition official: IS-held Mosul completely surrounded,” 3/12/17

Baghdad Post, "Counter terror forces storm Al-Aghawat district in Mosul right bank," 3/10/17

Bas News, "Iraqi Forces Repel IS Attack on Tal Afar Airport, Kill 18 Militants," 3/12/17

- "Mosul: Kurdish Reporter Injured in IS Shelling," 3/12/17

BBC, “Mosul IS battle: ‘Remains of prisoners’ found at mass grave site,” 3/12/17

Davison, John, “Iraqi general says 30 percent of west Mosul recaptured from Islamic State,” Reuters, 3/12/17

Ensor, Josie, "Just hours from freedom, Mosul's civilians die under the bombs of their liberators," Telegraph, 3/12/17

Al Forat, "Urgent Ninewa We Are Coming announces freeing village of Darnajouk east of Badush," 3/12/17

Iraqi Red Crescent Society, “Increasing in the numbers of displaced from the right side of Mosul to more than 60,000 displaced since the start of the operations till now,” 3/10/17

Al Jazeera, “Iraqi general: 40% of west Mosul seized from ISIL,” 3/12/17

Khadder, Kareem, “Nearly 100,000 displaced since start of western Mosul assault,” CNN, 3/12/17

Al Maalomah, “Nineveh Council: Daesh destroyed 40 percent of the infrastructure in West Mosul,” 3/12/17

- "Yarallah: Daesh suffered heavy losses in West Mosul," 3/12/17

Mohamed, Mostafa, “Iraqi forces recapture central Mosul district: military media,” Iraqi News, 3/12/17

- “UPDATED: Iraqi forces storm 3 western Mosul neighborhoods, 12 militants killed,” Iraqi News, 3/12/17

New Sabah, “The joint forces liberated about 50% of West Mosul and continue to free many of the city’s neighborhoods,” 3/12/17

NINA, "Urgent..Army Troops Storm Areas In Center Of Mosul, Killing 7 Suicide Bombers In Fierce Battles," 2/28/17

Rasheed, Ahmed, “Iraqi forces unearth mass grave of Shi’ite inmates killed by Islamic State,” Reuters, 3/12/17

Rudaw, “Iraq reports more than 12,000 people flee western Mosul in one day,” 3/12/17

- “Thousands of people flee from the fight for western Mosul,” 3/12/17

- "US-trained Iraqi forces reclaim two districts near Mosul's Old City," 3/12/17

Shafaaq News, "Found a mass grave containing the remains of 20 soldiers in Badush," 3/12/17

UN High Commissioner for Refugees, “Iraq Situation: UNHCR Flash Update – 11 March 2017,” 3/12/17

Xinhua, “Over 100,000 civilians flee homes in western Mosul in clashes against IS,” 3/12/17