The Iraqi forces (ISF) continued their slow advance through
the Old City along the Tigris River. The Federal Police and Rapid Reaction
Division finally took
the Iron Bridge, making it three out of the five spans across the Tigris River
that are now under government control. The bridges were knocked out by
Coalition air strikes so they are largely symbolic victories.
The spokesman for the Golden Division claimed
that 60% of west Mosul was liberated. Three days before the police said only
30% was freed. Why the discrepancy? The police were counting by districts, and
the Golden Division was counting by area and including the airport and Ghazlani
base that are outside the city proper. Whichever metric is being used, the ISF
are now in the middle of the western section.
To the west of Mosul the army and Hashd said that the entire
Badush
district had been taken. This was important because it helped encircle and cut
off Mosul from Tal Afar and Syria.
The United States and Iraq’s premier both thought that the
battle was heading towards its conclusion. Prime Minister Haidar Abadi held a
new conference announcing
that the campaign was in its “final phase.” He told the Islamic State they
could either surrender or be killed. According
to U.S. General Joseph Martin IS was falling apart, was disorganized, and
lacked leadership. He added that the insurgents were taking longer to react to
the ISF. IS was defeated strategically in Iraq a long ago. They are still
putting up a tough fight on the ground however, and victory in Mosul is still
probably a few weeks away.
More than 100,000 people have now left west Mosul. Deputy
Displacement Minister Jassim al-Attiya put the figure at 125,000.
The International Organization for Migration had 97,000,
but that was only people registered with the government and aid agencies. The
displacement Ministry seemed to be counting people that had gone through
screening while exiting the city, hence the higher number.
The authorities are mishandling this massive flood of
people. The United Nations noted that the Iraqi forces were taking all of the
displaced (IDPs) to camps in the south, which are full. USA
Today for example, went to Hamam al-Alil where one camp is and found people
sleeping on the ground because there was no room inside. The camp itself was
running out of food, water and medicine. There are over 27,000 spots open in
Kurdistan, but the ISF is not telling people about them. Instead they are
informed they can go to the camps in the south, go to east Mosul, or stay with
relatives. The U.N. and aid agencies are talking with the government and ISF to
try to change this.
The Philadelphia
Inquirer went to east Mosul to see how conditions were. As others have
found, life is returning to the eastern side with shops opening, but there are
no services. The electricity and water grids are down, and people have to rely
upon private generators and water brought in by the ISF. The government, the
main employer, is not paying its workers yet. Schoolteachers for example have not
gotten any salaries. People are also worried about Islamic State attacks. Some
families are angry at Baghdad because there is no rebuilding going on, while
others are considering leaving because of the poor state of affairs.
Finally, the Los
Angeles Times went to a mass gave near the town of Al Houd. 25 bodies had
been taken out of the site so far, but it is laced with IEDs left behind by the
militants. That has killed people trying to excavate the area. While IS
controlled the town, up to 118 people disappeared, and are likely buried there.
When the Islamic State swept through Ninewa in 2014 it portrayed itself as the
defenders of the Sunnis against the Baghdad. That community proved to be one of
its major victims as IS killed anyone that opposed its rule.
SOURCES
Baghdad Post, “125,000 fled liberated areas in Mosul –
Official,” 3/15/17
Buratha News, "Security forces in control of the old bridge
and the Passports Department freed central Mosul," 3/15/17
Hennessy-Fiske, Molly, “Unearthing atrocities in Iraq’s
newest mass graves,” Los Angeles Times, 3/14/17
Al Jazeera, “100,000 flee as Iraqi forces advance in west
Mosul,” 3/15/17
Kossov, Igor, “Mosul’s growing humanitarian crisis as bad as
feared,” USA Today, 3/15/17
Michaels, Jim, “In Mosul, ISIS is in disarray and
surrounded,” USA Today, 3/15/17
Mostafa, Mohamed, “Army says 60% of western Mosul under govt
troops control,” Iraqi News, 3/15/17
- "Iraqi troops retake
strategic region in western Mosul from IS," Iraqi News, 3/15/17
Reuters, “Mosul battle reaching final stages: Abadi,”
3/15/17
Rubin, Trudy, “Worldview: Rubin: Surviving in ISIS-occupied
Mosul,” Philadelphia Inquirer, 3/15/17
Rudaw, “Iraqi forces control 3rd of 5 bridges
from western Mosul,” 3/15/17
Shafaaq
News, "These are the results of the last 24 hours in the battle for
Mosul," 3/15/17
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