The Mosul offensive has ground down into a stalemate. While
areas are still regularly freed, they are relatively small, and the Iraqi
forces (ISF) have not been able to make any serious advances into the Old City
district along the Tigris River. Poor
weather has limited air support and led the ISF to start and stop their
operations again and again over the last few weeks. The dense layout of the
area has meant the ISF are not able to use their vehicles many times. Finally,
the Islamic State is putting up a tough defense. They have an extensive tunnel
system underneath the city. They have burrowed
holes through walls to allow them to move house to house without venturing
outside. They have blocked off streets with cars, burned fires to obscure
visibility, deployed snipers upon rooftops, and constantly moved back and forth
through areas to try to avoid enemy fire.
The Iraqis and their American allies realize the situation
and are talking about changing tactics to try to make a breakthrough. U.S.
General John Richardson told Reuters
that the ISF are thinking about attacking from different directions to make the
insurgents fight on multiple fronts. General Yahya Rasool also talked about new
plans being devised. Fighting in east Mosul ground to a virtual halt for a
period as well. The ISF changed to a broad front with better coordination to
stretch out the Islamic State and were able to gain back the momentum and take
half the city. They are now hoping for a repeat of that.
Reuters
and Foreign
Policy were the latest to cover how life in liberated east Mosul was going.
Reuters found that there were plenty of shops open, but underlying problems.
First, there are few jobs available. The local government has tried to organize
people to clear up streets and remove debris, but this only lasts a day at a
time. A man complained that there was no steady work, and no aid from the
authorities either. The electricity and water networks are still down as well.
Along the Tigris River there is constant IS mortar fire. The insurgents are
still attempting to infiltrate the east, and a suicide bomber was killed
during the day. That insecurity has stopped public workers from returning to
their jobs. For a period they were being bused in from Irbil where many re-located
in 2014, but that was stopped in mid-February because people were afraid for
their safety. Similar circumstances have happened in many other freed cities as
well. Fallujah for example still has no services several months after it was cleared
of the Islamic State, and the economy is only functioning on a low level as
well. The problem is the government has plenty of plans for rebuilding, but little
money to carry them out, and poor implementation.
Foreign Policy also noted the continued problems with the
security forces in east Mosul. There are various units operating in the city
such as the army’s 16th Division, the National Security Service
(NSS), local forces, and Hashd units along with the police. These groups all
compete with each other for authority and power over the city. Foreign Policy
was along with an NSS unit conducting raids when it was stopped and got into an
argument with soldiers who complained that they knew nothing about its
activities. A senior security official told Foreign Policy that Baghdad’s
federal forces are supposed to be in control of the city, but that’s not
happened yet. Until then this hodgepodge of forces will continue to act largely
independently of each other to try to secure the city. This is a bad situation,
as the insurgents have been known to exploit gaps in the Iraqi forces to carry
out their operations.
SOUCES
Adel,
Loaa, "Islamic State executes 20 civilians west of Mosul," Iraqi
News, 3/24/17
-
"Islamic State shells civilians in central Mosul," Iraqi News,
3/24/17
-
"Mosul's east begins to bustle but healing a long way off," Iraqi
News, 3/24/17
Baghdad
Post, "20 gov't forces, IMIS killed, wounded in clashes with ISIS in
Mosul," 3/24/17
-
"Family of seven killed in Mosul city," 3/24/17
-
"ISIS sniper shoots killed kid in Mosul," 3/24/17
Chulov, Martin, “Mosul’s children were shouting beneath the
rubble. Nobody came,” Guardian, 3/24/17
Al Jazeera, “Battle for Mosul: Sharp rise in civilian
deaths,” 3/24/17
MacDiarmid, Campbell, Kenner, David, “Goodbye, Islamic
State, Hello, Anarchy,” Foreign Policy, 3/24/17
MacSwan,
Angus and Markey, Patrick, "Iraqi forces to deploy new tactics in Mosul,
civilians flee city," Reuters, 3/24/17
Al Mada, “The fall of civilians in the old city of Mosul is
leading to call for opening of escape corridors out of city,” 3/24/17
New Sabah, “Counter Terrorism forces control the old industry
and iron works in Mosul,” 3/24/17
Niqash, “Human Shields, Hidden Snipers, Burning Cars: Mosul
Locals Explain Extremists’ Desperate Tactics,” 3/23/17
Reuters, “Dozens kills, buried in rubble after Mosul air
raid – Iraqi officials, residents,” 3/23/17
Saltmarsh, Matthew, “UNHCR warns Mosul situation
deteriorating as fighting rages,” UN High Commissioner for Refugees, 3/23/17
Shelter Box, “’My husband’s body was thrown into landfill –
no burial’. Heart-breaking conversations,” 3/24/17
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